Munster 29 Ulster 24
Munster earned their ninth win in succession in the United Rugby Championship (URC) to finish on top of the table and ensure a home match next week in Thomond Park against eighth placed Ospreys.
The result means that Leinster finish third on the table and with Ulster in sixth place, the two Irish sides will meet next week with Leinster having home advantage.
Munster did it the hard way in bright Thomond Park leaving it until deep in the second half to pull away from Ulster and secure the bonus point win with tries from RG Snyman, Calvin Nash, Shane Daly and Eoghan Clarke.
It was the 70th minute when replacement hooker Clarke peeled away from a Munster scrum to give them a two-point cushion as the clock counted down.
Munster started the match the more up tempo side and playing into a stiff wind, although conditions were otherwise perfect in the shirt sleeve summer evening. Ulster initially went backwards with Munster outhalf Jack Crowley kicking the first penalty for an attacking lineout after just two minutes.
That was overthrown. But Munster pressed hard and eight minutes into the game, RG Snyman stretched through a thicket of bodies towards the Ulster line.
Although Eric O’Sullivan threw himself at the ball, replays showed the South African had made the whitewash and the try was given with Jack Crowley converting for a 7-0 Munster lead.
Ulster, though, were not deterred and came strongly back with Billy Burns kicking for an attacking lineout after 16 minutes. Cormac Izuchukwu rose well and Ulster gathered around going forward, Rob Herring finally shooting off the back to touch down and John Cooney converting for 7-7.
A Sean O’Brien offside seven minutes later allowed Cooney get Ulster 7-10 ahead before a perfect end to the half for the visitors.
Although Simon Zebo putting Calvin Nash away up the right was probably the best attacking move of the first half before Nick Timoney flashed across the back field to put a stop to the move, it was Ulster who ended the half pushing forward.
Choosing to test the Munster defence and tap a penalty in injury time, David McCann finished off a strong first half performance picking and driving into the bodies and making the line, the safe boot of Cooney stretching the Ulster lead to 7-15 as the sides went in for half-time.
Munster returned sharply from the break and finally managed to string some phased play together as they swept up the pitch on 52 minutes. With the Ulster defence stretched a whipped skip pass from Craig Casey to Nash and the Ireland winger touched down in the corner.
Straight away Ulster hit back and were instantly up on Munster’s line with Izuchukwu making huge ground ball in hand. At the breakdown it was quickly fed to Matty Rea, who obliged from close in, Cooney converting for 14-24.
Minutes later Munster were down on Ulster’s line as the game became frantic and took on a cup tie feel. Casey was again involved as Munster attacked, his pass left finding Daly out wide. Daly’s try and Crowley’s conversion made it a three-point game, Ulster leading 21-24.
By then the crowd had become involved and on one side in the stand the low sun blazed into eyes making it difficult to see. But when Clarke went over for 26-24, they rose from their seats. A Crowley penalty on 77 minutes for 29-24 settled nerves, Ulster knocking on in the last phase to close the game.
Scoring sequence – 8 mins RG Snyman try, J Crowley con 7-0; 16 mins R Herring try, Cooney con 7-7; 23 mins Cooney pen 7-10; 40 mins D McCann try, Cooney con 7-17. Halftime. 52 mins C Nash try, Crowley con 14-17; 53 mins M Rea try, Cooney con 14-24; 58 mins S Daly try, Crowley con 21-24; 70 mins E Clarke try 26-24; 77 mins Crowley pen 29-24.
Munster: S Zebo; C Nash, S O’Brien, R Scannell, S Daly; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, S Archer; RG Snyman, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, A Kendellen, J O’Donoghue.
Replacements: J Carbery for Scannell (35 mins), O Jager for Archer (50 mins), T Ahern for Snyman (50 mins), J Hodnett for Kendellen (50 mins), E Clarke for N Scannell (60 mins), J Ryan for Loughman (60 mins), G Coombes for P O’Mahony (61 mins), C Murray for Casey (69 mins).
Ulster: J Postlethwaite; M Lowry, W Addison, S Moore, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; C Izuchukwu, D McCann, N Timoney.
Replacements: H Sheridan for Treadwell (5 mins), Matty Rea for O’Connor (18 mins), T Stewart for Herring (53 mins), A Warwick for O’Sullivan (53 mins), A Sexton for Addison (59 mins), D Ewers for Rea (64 mins), S Wilson for O’Toole (66 mins).
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