Mafi stars as Munster power past Ulster

MUNSTER A produced a top-class display to overwhelm the Ulster Ravens at Nenagh yesterday.

Ulster went in front through a James McKinney penalty but the visitors lost the initiative and one of their key players in the 15th minute with the game delayed to allow centre Adam Macklin have treatment for a suspected broken ankle.

Munster jumped in front with Stephen Archer on hand to take advantage of a fine break from scrum-half Conor Murray.

Scott Deasy converted and added two penalties before Munster moved into a more comfortable position with their second converted try.

This came from Simon Zebo after a flurry of Munster assaults in which Ian Nagle, Dave Foley, Dave O’Callaghan, Paddy Butler and Lifeimi Mafi were prominent. Deasy added the points to secure a 20-3 lead at the break.

Mafi was rewarded for his enterprise early in the second half with a fine unconverted try and Munster were really only troubled when replacement winger Ronan O’Mahony was yellow carded for a trip on Ulster’s Tommy Seymour.

It took a brave tackle from Sean Henry to deny Ulster a try from a subsequent attack and later Munster struck for a fourth try, a fine effort from Dave Kilcoyne, a 57th minute replacement for Archer.

MUNSTER: S Scanlon, D Hurley, I Dineen (Eric Maloney 64 mins), L Mafi, S Zebo (R O’Mahony 47 mins), S Deasy, C Murray (D Williams 50 mins),D Ryan (D Hurley 57 mins), S Henry (G Burke 64 mins), S Archer (D Kilcoyne 57 mins), D Foley capt, I Nagle (B Hayes 69 mins), D O’Callaghan, B O’Hara, P Butler (K Essex 57 mins).

ULSTER RAVENS: A D’Arcy; T Seymour, N Spence, J Shiels, M McCrea; J McKinney, M Heaney, M Cromie, J Burns, A Macklin (N. Annett 14), C Napier, N McComb (C. Gaston 66), TJ Anderson, A Birch (R Hackney 60), T Patton.