URC: Ulster 28 Munster 3
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy’s interval pep talk had the desired effect as a recalibrated Ulster, accumulated the avalanche of points in the second half that their overall dominance merited, worthy winners of the URC clash against Munster. The final margin didn’t flatter them – it should arguably have been even greater – despite having led by just 6-3 at the interval.
The home side had several standout players, Stu McCloskey, Werner Kok, Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Cormac Izuchukwu and the Ward brothers, Zac and Bryn and once they sorted out issues in handling, the breakdown, being a little more direct and offering a better shape in attack, they got their reward on the scoreboard.
Munster were off-colour, beaten in many of the individual duels, struggling at times in the scrum, succumbing to a litany of mistakes and reliant on individual resilience to try and mitigate the onslaught.
Ulster’s sharp opening gradually faded in a contest in which mistakes abounded, many basic, the fare increasingly ragged as heavy sleet fell on a freezing Belfast night. A problem for the home side was that they got very narrow at times in orientation, players taking each other’s space and undermining a commitment to try and get the ball to the wider channels.
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Two penalties from scrumhalf Nathan Doak represented a modest return from 24 minutes of utter dominance in territory and possession. It was even more meagre when a handling error from otherwise bright Jack Murphy gave Munster a scrum in the home side’s 22.
Brian Gleeson, an early replacement for John Hodnett (arm), got to within millimetres of the Ulster line but second prize was a penalty, which JJ Hanrahan kicked to reduce the deficit to 6-3. Munster shaded the breakdown duel, Ulster’s kick chase and aerial work was more proficient, but both sides lacked creativity.
Set piece was periodically a problem for Munster but they survived because Ulster’s handling was poor to middling, an accusation that to be fair, could have been levelled at both teams. As a spectacle it was turgid, the half-time whistle, a merciful release.
Ulster will have been the more disappointed simply because they had the better possession and territory. Bryn Ward, Kok and the excellent McCloskey were a handful for the visitors, breaking the gain-line but a mistake was never far away as they struggled to retain possession beyond a handful of phases.
Munster scrapped and scrambled, Alex Nankivell and Mike Haley came up with important turnovers, but they too were error-ridden in possession. The loudest cheer of the night was for a try in the half-time minis match.
Alex Kendellen was pinged at a ruck, Doak kicked the penalty to move Ulster to 9-3 ahead two minutes after the restart but after another break from Kok, Jacob Stockdale’s injudicious offload threw away all the ground gained.
Undaunted, the home side were soon on the attack, brilliant breaks from the Ward brothers, first Zac and then Bryn took Ulster from their 22, to the Munster line.
On penalty advantage Stockdale was denied what looked like a try, but the visitors’ respite was short-lived, Tom Stewart took the tap penalty and a few phases later the hooker was on hand to burrow over for a try. Doak kicked a superb conversion.
It got even better for Ulster, McCloskey produced a superb turnover, Kok with a lovely, flicked pass and Jake Flannery, on for the injured Stockdale, galloped over to push the home side out to 21-3. Byrn Ward forced his way over for a third try.
Kok was denied a try his performance deserved as the home side failed to secure the four-try bonus point but it was a minor quibble when weighed against the way they picked up after the interval.
Scoring sequence – 4 mins: Doak penalty, 3-0; 24: Doak penalty, 6-0; 27: Hanrahan penalty, 6-3. Half-time: 6-3. 42: Doak penalty, 9-3; 48: Stewart try, Doak conversion, 16-3; 54: Flannery try, 21-3; 71: B Ward try, Doak conversion, 28-3.
Ulster: J Stockdale: W Kok, J Hume, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; A Bell, T Stewart, T O’Toole; I Henderson (capt), J Hopes; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, B Ward. Replacements: J Flannery for Stockdale 49 mins; E O’Sullivan for Bell 52 mins; R Herring for Stewart 57 mins; S Wilson for O’Toole 57 mins; H Sheridan for Henderson 57 mins; D McCann for Izuchukwu 60 mins; J Postlethwaite for McCloskey 60 mins; C McKee for Doak 78 mins.
Munster: M Haley; C Nash, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, P Patterson; J Wycherley, D Barron (capt), M Ala’alatoa; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; T Ahern, J Hodnett, A Kendellen. Replacements: B Gleeson for Hodnett 10 mins; J Loughman for J Wycherley 49 mins; C Bartley for Ala’alatoa 49 mins; E Coughlan for Patterson 49 mins; J O’Donoghue for Kendellen 51 mins; T Butler for Haley 56 mins; S O’Brien for Nankivell 64 mins; L Barron.
Referee: M Adamson (Scotland)
