McCann And Wilson Weigh In With Big Performances In Ulster’s Comeback Win

Rob Herring won the penalty which clinched Ulster’s 21-14 BKT United Rugby Championship derby win over Munster, on the night that he became the province’s most-capped player of all-time.

Herring, Iain Henderson and debutant prop Scott Wilson were part of an influential bench that helped Dan McFarland’s men to turn the tide with 13 unanswered second half points, including Nick Timoney’s decisive try from a 67th-minute scrum.

Munster had quelled the Kingspan Stadium crowd to lead 14-8 at half-time, with Craig Casey collecting two first quarter tries, the second one coming while Shane Daly was in the sin bin.

Jacob Stockdale’s 26th-minute try, set up by a Billy Burns cross-field kick, raised the decibel level for Ulster who had an earlier penalty from Nathan Doak.

The 21-year-old Ulster scrum half increased his influence with two more three-pointers, including a cracking 63rd-minute leveller after Stephen Archer was caught offside.

Number 8 Timoney crossed the whitewash soon after, and the reigning champions, scoreless since the 19th minute, were unable to convert late pressure into points as they fell to their first league defeat since going down to Glasgow Warriors last March.

Munster’s scrum quickly got on top in this Belfast battle, targeting inexperienced Ulster tighthead Greg McGrath. A series of penalties had them pressing for a try which Casey eventually claimed with eight minutes on the clock.

The Ireland scrum half, who also touched down last week against the Dragons, neatly slipped out of a tackle from Burns before crashing over past Timoney’s tackle. The conversion, from just to the right of the posts, was sent over by Jack Crowley.

Eric O’Sullivan lifted Ulster by winning a scrum penalty, and Burns found a terrific touch. Munster held up the maul but the home forwards carried closer in before Burns went close to putting Ethan McIlroy over during a penalty advantage.

McIlroy was tackled short of the line by Diarmuid Barron and Daly, with the latter seeing yellow for making head contact with his right arm. After the Ulster full-back was helped off, Doak reduced the arrears to 7-3.

14-man Munster showed their intent again by going up the line from a penalty. Ulster’s defence could not hold out, a series of close-in phases ending with a determined Casey squeezing in low, ahead of Cormac Izuchukwu and Doak, and Crowley converted for a 14-3 lead.

Ulster hit back with some of their best play of the night. Doak led a break, Robert Baloucoune forced Alex Kendellen to concede a penalty, and player-of-the-match David McCann (pictured above) sparked some improved carrying as Munster were shunted back towards their own 22.

Burns then clipped a classy kick out to the left which bounced up for Stockdale to score ahead of the covering Crowley. Doak narrowly missed the conversion, but the home supporters were sensing a change of momentum.

Flanker McCann was covering a huge amount of ground, particularly in defence where he did well to spoil a promising attacking position for Munster.

Crowley did likewise by blocking a Stewart Moore kick in touch, with great hands from Stuart McCloskey and Tom Stewart having initially put Stockdale into space down the left wing.

Inside seven minutes of the restart, the hosts had closed the gap to three points through the right boot of Doak. The 23-year-old McCann was again involved in the build-up, earning a penalty at the breakdown to bring Ulster back up into the opposition 22.

McFarland began to unload his bench, with the biggest cheer of the night reserved for returning Ireland hooker Herring who came on to win his 230th cap, eclipsing the record held by his former team-mate Darren Cave.

Munster unfortunately lost stand-in captain Barron, who injured himself when trying to tackle the newly-introduced Henderson. The latter brought the expected physical impact, but a dummy lineout throw from Herring let Munster off the hook.

Academy tighthead Wilson won a scrum penalty to announce himself at this level, yet knock-ons were thwarting both sides’ progress. Wilson’s bustling carry, off a short Henderson pass, teed up Doak for a superbly-struck levelling penalty from 46 metres out.

Ulster were soon hunting down a second try, with a Baloucoune effort ruled out as McCann had taken a quick lineout ahead of the mark. Crucially, a Munster knock-on gave their provincial rivals a five-metre scrum and a powerful surge delivered the lead score.

Props Wilson and O’Sullivan got the plaudits after Ulster’s strong shove drove the red shirts backwards and the tireless Timoney found his way to the line. Doak added the extras from the right for a 21-14 advantage.

Sloppy penalties conceded by McCloskey and McCann, who added two lineout steals to his impressive stats, invited Munster forward, but the visitors failed to capitalise on two big lineout opportunities.

Gavin Coombes did his best with some bulldozing carries to keep them in range, and replacement Rory Scannell split the defensive line with a terrific late break that had Munster on the prowl again.

Nonetheless, Ulster’s reinforced defence held firm. Josh Wycherley was held up over the line by a combination of Henderson, McCann and Herring, and when a Munster ball squirted loose, fittingly it was Herring’s turnover penalty that sewed up the result.