MUNSTER went top of the Guinness Pro12 tonight, for 24 hours at least, following a 21 to 20 win over Ulster at Thomond Park. Tries from Robin Copeland, Duncan Williams and 11 points from the boot of Ian Keatley gave Anthony Foley’s men all four points from the Irish derby played in near perfect conditions at the Limerick venue.
Ulster raced into a 12-0 lead through ill discipline and the kicking accuracy of Ian Humphreys, however the northern side did not score again until the 71st minute of the game. Munster slowly crept back into a contest they were in danger of slipping out of completely in the 30th minute when Robin Copeland crossed the white wash after an excellent line break by Ronan O’Mahony. The score at half time a more than positive 12-8 to Ulster.
The second forty started with Munster applying pressure through the maul and a blinside move from a Munster scrum sent Duncan Williams over in the corner. A late try from former Munster backrow Nick Williams set the game up for an exciting finished, but with Ian Humphreys missing the convert, the final play of the game, a penalty won by CJ Stander, saw Munster over the line and top of the table, with the Ospreys playing Leinster tomorrow night.
Final score – Munster 21 Ulster 20
Scoring Timeline:
2min – Munster 0 – 3 Ulster – Ian Humphreys penalty after Munster offside on their own 22.
11min – Munster 0 – 6 Ulster – Ian Humphreys penalty, Munster once again offside after pressure from Ulster on the Munster line
13min – Munster 0 – 9 Ulster – Ian Humphreys penalty once more, as Munster block a chaser on a high kick.
21min – Munster 0 – 12 Ulster – Ian Humphreys penalty from a Munster infringement at ruck time.
23min – Munster 3 – 12 Ulster – Ian Keatley penalty after some good Munster play in Ulster’s 22.
30min – Munster 8 – 12 Ulster – Robin Copeland TRY for Munster, after initial break by Ronan O’Mahony. Conversion missed.
Half Time Score Munster 8 – 12 Ulster
43min – Munster 13 – 12 Ulster – Duncan Williams TRY blindside off of a scrum five.
44min – Munster 15 – 12 Ulster – Ian Keatley conversion
52min – Munster 18 – 12 Ulster – Ian Keatley penalty after Ulster bring down maul on their own 22
55min – Munster 21 – 12 Ulster – Ian Keatley penalty after Ulster offside
72min – Munster 21 – 15 Ulster – Ian Humphreys penalty after Munster collapse of scrum.
79min – Munster 21 – 20 Ulster – Nick Williams TRY for Ulster, Conversion missed.
Munster: JJ Hanrahan, Gerhard van den Heever, Pat Howard, Denis Hurley, Ronan O’Mahony; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; John Ryan, Duncan Casey, BJ Botha; Donncha O’Callaghan – capt, Billy Holland; Robin Copeland, Paddy Butler, CJ Stander
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Tommy O’Donnell, Sean Dougall, Neil Cronin, Andrew Smith, Felix Jones
Ulster: S Olding; L Ludik, D Cave, S McCloskey C Gilroy, I Humphreys, P Marshall; C Black, R Best (Capt), W Herbst, A O’Connor, F vd Merwe, R Wilson, S Reidy, N Williams;
Replacements (16-23): R Herring, A Warwick, D Fitzpatrick, L Stevenson, R Diack, M Heaney, M Allen, P Nelson.
