Centres Rory Scannell and Jaco Taute played pivotal roles as Munster completed a gritty comeback victory over provincial rivals Ulster at Kingspan Stadium tonight.
Opportunist tries from Charles Piutau – his first in competitive action for Ulster – and teenage replacement Robert Lyttle, touching down for the third time this season, had the hosts leading 14-5 at half-time.
Sloppy Ulster rode their luck at times and a combination of resolute home defence and a misfiring Munster attack left the visitors unable to transfer their control of possession and territory into scores.
That was until first half injury-time when Darren Sweetnam fed Rory Scannell to go over in the right corner. However, Ian Keatley missed the difficult conversion and also hit the post with an early second half penalty attempt – his third miss of the night.
Scannell took over the kicking duties to convert Jaco Taute’s well-taken 63rd-minute score, and after Paddy Jackson slid a very kickable penalty wide, man-of-the-match Scannell deftly split the posts from a Duncan Williams pass.
The result saw the Ulstermen lose their grip on top spot and ensures that Munster, just a week on from Anthony Foley’s emotional send-off, have for the first time in their history gone three matches without defeat in Belfast since the Second World War.
In superb playing conditions at the packed-out northern venue, two early aerial bombs from Ulster were dealt with neatly by soaring winger Sweetnam and a fit-again Andrew Conway.
However, after going through the phases and maintaining possession outside the Munster 22, the hosts hit the front in the fourth minute when Jackson’s ideally-placed cross-field kick was tapped back by Craig Gilroy for full-back Piutau to finish off to the left of the posts.
Jackson converted and Ulster had to scramble to avoid conceding from the restart, Munster prop Dave Kilcoyne threatening wide on the left before the attack broke down.
Keatley missed a drop goal attempt and was wayward with a 10th minute penalty from inside his own half, with Ulster’s well-organised defence ensuring that Munster emerged pointless from a further bout of pressure in the 22.
Defences remained on top at both ends of the pitch, the visitors foiling Ulster from a maul opportunity and the diminutive Lyttle standing up well to thwart Munster captain Peter O’Mahony, 15 metres out from his own line.
Turnovers prevented either side from getting into scoring range, including a knock-on at a five-metre Munster lineout, and a Piutau kick downfield saw Ulster swiftly turn defence into attack – and in clinical fashion.
The elusive Lyttle picked up a loose ruck ball in the Munster 22, dipping his shoulder and wriggling free from attempted tackles by Tommy O’Donnell, Kilcoyne and Keatley for a fine individual score under the posts, converted by Jackson.
14-0 was a flattering scoreline for the Ulstermen and they slipped up just before the break, falling off tackles with Munster’s South African centre Taute threatening in midfield. The pressure told when Sweetnam’s delayed pass sucked in Robbie Diack and Scannell was sent over in the right corner.
Ulster’s struggles at restarts continued when the second period got underway, a penalty being coughed up but again Keatley’s radar was off.
Better and more direct attacking from Luke Marshall and company saw Ulster knock on the door, yet the Ireland centre had to rescue the situation with a timely tackle as Sweetnam led a Munster breakaway.
As the rain came down, another Ulster move broke down as Tommy Bowe fumbled a Jackson pass, Munster replacement Alex Wootton swooping in to launch a kick chase and send the home side back into their own 22.
Entering the final quarter, patient build-up play from Munster was finally rewarded when Taute did really well to spin in a tackle and crash over for his second try in the space of six days, converted by Scannell.
An ill-timed firework went off outside the ground just as Jackson approached his 68th minute penalty shot, the Ireland out-half’s kick going the wrong side of the near right hand post much to the home crowd’s dismay.
It was Munster who held their composure late on, their hard-working forwards picking and carrying strongly to set up the drop goal opportunity for Scannell. Jackson had a drop from much further out, three minutes later, but it went narrowly wide and a final knock-on from Bowe, allied to a rock solid last-minute Munster scrum, condemned Les Kiss’ men to a rare home defeat.
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