UNDER-20 INTERPROVINCIALS Munster 21 Connacht 14:MUNSTER GOT off to a winning start in the under-20 interprovincial series at Musgrave Park last night, scoring three tries in the process to the westerners two.

Connacht didn’t help their own cause in a lively first half by conceding three soft penalties in the first 12 minutes, all three punished by scrumhalf Brian Haugh.

Connacht were able to breach the Munster defence but too many times the final pass didn’t go to hand or the attack was stopped by some great defensive tackling by Munster.

Cork hurler Darren Sweetnam scored a great individual try just shy of half-time to extend Munster’s lead to 14 points when he checked his run for the line to deceive the Connacht defence for a score in the corner.

Connacht worked their way back into the game in the second half with two breakaway tries by Darragh Leader when he carved the home defence open on both occasion and converted both to level the scores at 14-14.

Connacht’s lineout was a problem for most of the game and Munster made hay of a missed jumper at a lineout. They robbed the ball and Rob Jermyn made the most of a mismatch against Connacht replacement prop Cian O’Donnell to score under the posts for the home side. Haugh kicked the conversion to give the home side a winning start to their interprovincial campaign.

MUNSTER: D Sweetnam, R Jermyn, H McNulty, R Scannell, A Enright, T Kiersey, B Haugh, N Horan, W Foley, B Scott, S McCarthy, J Madigan, J O'Donoghue, D Ryan, J Fitzgerald. Replacements: J Kind for Madigan, D O'Connell for J O'Donoughue (both 61 mins), D Hartnett for N Horan (72 mins), J McInerney for R Jermyn (74 mins).

CONNACHT: A O'Meara, C Fitzgibbon M Roche, R Casey, P O'Neill, D Leader, A Boland, J Connolly, J Dever, S O'Brien, U Dillane, A Connaughton, P Maxwell, J Connolly. Replacements: M Mannion for J Dever (48 mins), J Conroy for J Connolly (54 mins), C Joyce for U Dillane (58 mins), L Satchwell for B Digby (77 mins.

Referee: R Kerr(IRFU).