Match Tracker: Munster 21 Ulster 13

…Munster’s Alan Quinlan challenges Ulster scrum half Isaac Boss at Musgrave Park…

Munster handed title holders Ulster their second defeat of the Magners League on Saturday night as David Wallace and Anthony Horgan both touched down.

MAGNERS LEAGUE: Saturday, September 30

MUNSTER 21 ULSTER 13, Musgrave Park (Att: 5,674)

Scorers: Munster: Tries: David Wallace, Anthony Horgan; Con: Ronan O’Gara; Pens: O’Gara 3

Ulster: Try: Paul Steinmetz: Con: David Humphreys; Pens: Humphreys 2

Full-time – Munster 21 Ulster 13

80+6 mins: Justin Fitzpatrick joins the injured contingent on the sidelines as he takes a knock to his left leg. Young is back on. Ulster’s last scoring chance is wasted as Humphreys knocks on when trying to orchestrate a drop goal

80 mins: Paul Shields and Declan Fitzpatrick are on for Ulster. Timmy Ryan and Mick O’Driscoll are getting late run-outs for Munster

79 mins: Humphreys is harshly penalised for going over the top of a ruck – when he clearly rolled away from it – and O’Gara adds insult to injury by thumping over the penalty from 40 metres out. Looks like there will be no losing bonus point now for the northerners – Munster 21 Ulster 13

74 mins: Courtney pulls Campbell aside, after O’Gara’s penalty success, and sends the Ulster replacement to the sin bin for his cynical challenge on Kelly

72 mins: Courtney spots a pull back by Campbell on Kelly as he chased an O’Gara garryowen, which had bounced over the Ulster try line. Penalty to Munster which O’Gara comfortably taps over – Munster 18 Ulster 13

71 mins: Only for the interjection of Munster flanker Wallace, his name sake Paddy Wallace might have got away to set up a try. Ulster had a three-man overlap

68 mins: After a solid enough start, Kyriacou’s throwing is beginning to be a worry for Munster supporters. He has consistently failed to find his men over the past quarter-hour, but O’Callaghan makes use of a loose set piece ball, fly-hacking forward and into touch. The Corkman really got his legs pumping there!

66 mins: A Wilson knock down off a close-in lineout almost sets up Boss for a dart at the Munster line, but the ball squirted free. Ulster regain possession and Humphreys’ 45-metre drop goal attempt breezes away to the right. The former Ireland number 10 shares a joke with Stringer

65 mins: Another worrying injury, from an Ireland point of view, as winger Bowe is helped off the field – looks like a thigh injury, there is trapping being applied to his right leg – Kieran Campbell comes on

63 mins: Tim Barker and Kevin Maggs are on for Ulster, with McCullough and Steinmetz off

62 mins: Boss has been increasing his influence over the past few minutes. From a set scrum on the right, the New Zealand-born pivot links with Humphreys, Steinmetz and Cunningham take the move on with Trimble managing to get past Hickey in the left corner but the bulk of Halstead sends the Irish winger into touch

58 mins: There is a swap for Ulster at openside flanker as Neil McMillan makes way for Kieron Dawson. A forward pass from Trimble halts an Ulster attack

54 mins: More injury woe for Munster as winger Horgan hobbles on and Australian flanker Tim McGann, who has experience of playing Sevens rugby, comes on. Now Munster’s only back left on the bench is former Leinster scrum half Brian O’Meara

53 mins: Neil Best is off for Ulster with Dungannon youngster Stephen Ferris on

52 mins: Tommy Bowe is penalised for not realising the ball when tackled on the ground. O’Gara lines up a penalty shot at the posts from the left flank. His kick creeps inside the right upright and Munster are ahead again – Munster 15 Ulster 13

48 mins: A thunderous lineout maul from Munster sees them get over the line but no try is awarded. Quinlan is fortunate not to have been sin-binned as during the maul, with Harrison on the deck, he put in some overzealous rucking on the Australian, who was seen holding onto O’Connell’s leg but not Quinlan’s

44 mins: A knock on by Hickey allows Ulster gain scrum position on the Munster 22. Great hit by O’Connell and company on McCullough. Ulster keep possession but their lineout is spoiled and Stringer sends a relieving kick up towards the Ulster 22. Cunningham clears

Second Half: Kick-Off: O’Gara restarts, Ulster field the ball and after a quick ruck, Humphreys boots away to safety on the left touchline

…Anthony Horgan, one of Munster’s try scorers, brings down Ulster winger Andrew Trimble as John Kelly looks on…

Half-Time – Munster 12 Ulster 13

40 mins: With Ulster pressing for more points, flanker Alan Quinlan comes up with a great lineout steal. Incredibly, Munster will have to use their third full-back of the night! After Cullen went off, Shaun Payne slipped in at number 15 but the South African has sustained an injury and former UCD favourite Eoghan Hickey has been thrust into the fray. And a great first touch for Hickey as he fields a dangerous garryowen in superb style

38 mins: O’Callaghan is penalised for not rolling away after tackling Ulster prop Bryan Young and Humphreys sends over his third success from four kicks at goal, from just outside the 22 – Munster 12 Ulster 13

34 mins: Harrison is back on as the rhythmical cheers of ‘Ulster, Ulster!’ go up. A booming kick from Humphreys gets his forwards on the hoof but Kyriacou’s throw is again a good one

32 mins: Munster are really getting the upper hand after a slow start. With Harrison off, the Ulster lineout has been under pressure but Matt McCullough, thankfully recovered from his horror car crash during the summer, has taken two good balls in recent minutes

27 mins: Great stuff from Munster as winger Anthony Horgan nips in to the right of the posts, just ahead of Neil Best, for the hosts’ second try. A stunning pick-up from Halstead in midfield, with the greasy ball at ankle height, allowed Munster make the first incision into Munster territory.

Kelly and Kyriacou also carried forward and a long searching pass from Stringer to the right, where Munster had a four-to-one overlap, saw Horgan dot down. O’Gara missed the extras – Munster 12 Ulster 10

23 mins: Silly stuff from Harrison as, having been warned by referee Donal Courtney for getting involved in the earlier skirmish, he is pinged at the breakdown and is immediately issued with a yellow card. Ulster down to 14 men. Big jeers for the former Wallaby from the Cork faithful!

18 mins: Ronan O’Gara kicks to touch and Kyriacou sets up a lineout maul. Ulster are penalised as Munster bulldoze their way up to the line. Captain O’Connell opts for another lineout and after two phases, flanker David Wallace breaks for the line, swatting away the tackles of Wallace and Humphreys to swivel over for the score. Some fisticuffs see Justin Harrison and O’Callaghan squaring up to each other but Anthony Foley offers himself up as the peace maker. O’Gara converts after the situation is cooled – Munster 7 Ulster 10

17 mins: Excellent turnover for Munster – ball is robbed in midfield and Stringer dinks a great ball in over the top. Ian Dowling chases and harries well and Boss is bundled into touch

15 mins: Half break from Paddy Wallace brings play up to the Munster 22 but crossing between Andrew Trimble and Neil Best sees the move peter out

14 mins: John Kelly is forced onto the deck and is penalised for failing to release – great hounding from Boss. Humphreys will go for the posts. He just misses, sending his penalty kick to the left of the posts from 30 metres out

12 mins: It’s been a good night so far for Andy Kyriacou who has seen his last three lineout throws gobbled up by Donncha O’Callaghan and newly-appointed captain Paul O’Connell. Still though, Ulster are dominating territory

9 mins: More bad luck for former All Black Cullen as he is forced off the field with what looks like another shoulder injury. Trevor Halstead, who has fought his way back from a knee injury, is brought on

7 mins: Ulster grab the game’s first try and it’s a peach – Ireland scrum half Isaac Boss peels away and flicks a pop pass behind his back to the onrushing Paul Steinmetz who breaks the defensive line, shrugging off the tackle of Christian Cullen, and muscling over the line despite the attentions of Peter Stringer. Humphreys converts – Munster 0 Ulster 10

5 mins: The packs get to know each other as a dust-up proceeds a midfield scrum. Underfoot conditions are good despite the persistent rain in Cork today

2 mins: The game is only 93 seconds old and Humphreys has landed the first points with his well-struck penalty from the right – Munster 0 Ulster 3

1 minute: Despite a good spell of possession for Munster, an early offside allows Humphreys a shot at the posts from five metres inside the Munster half

First Half: Kick-Off: David Humphreys gets the game underway in front of a packed-out Musgrave Park. Recent signing Andy Kyriacou starts in place of Frankie Sheahan (hamstring) at hooker for the hosts, while Ulster have Bryn Cunningham stepping in at full-back for the injured Mark Bartholomeusz.

Munster: Christian Cullen; Anthony Horgan, John Kelly, Shaun Payne, Ian Dowling; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Andy Kyriacou, Federico Pucciariello, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell (capt), Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Anthony Foley.

Replacements: Frankie Roche, Timmy Ryan, Mick O’Driscoll, Tim McGann, Brian O’Meara, Eoghan Hickey, Trevor Halstead.

Ulster: Bryn Cunningham; Tommy Bowe, Paul Steinmetz, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble; David Humphreys, Isaac Boss; Justin Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Bryan Young, Justin Harrison (capt), Matt McCullough, Neil Best, Neil McMillan, Roger Wilson.

Replacements: Paul Shields, Declan Fitzpatrick, Tim Barker, Stephen Ferris, Kieron Dawson, Kieran Campbell, Kevin Maggs.

Referee: Donal Courtney (Ireland)
Touch Judges: Eanna O’Dowd, John Carvill (both Ireland)