Ulster batten down the hatches

Ulster 20 Munster 19

Five times as coach of North Harbour and then Auckland, Anscombe had tried to usurp the Canterbury man but he had to wait until a fiery night in the RaboDirect Pro12 at Ravenhill to end Penney’s winning start to life as Munster’s new head coach.

Watched by Ireland head coach Declan Kidney, the first Irish derby of the season ticked all the boxes in terms of drama and excitement as both sides welcomed back Test players for the first time this season — Ulster starting Stephen Ferris and Andrew Trimble while Munster preferred to spring Conor Murray, Ronan O’Gara and Keith Earls from the bench.

The ploy appeared to be paying off as Munster put together another impressive first-half performance, drawing first blood with two quick penalties and a well-contrived drop goal from Ian Keatley to put them 9-0 up after just 13 minutes as Ulster were punished for their scrappy and uncertain play.

The drop goal will have been especially pleasing as Munster had worked the ball upfield and in towards the posts off a lineout to position Keatley perfectly for the kick.

There was better still to come for the Reds, who had needed to absorb some belated Ulster pressure in the middle of the opening period and escaped with the concession of just six points from Paddy Jackson’s boot.

Munster had also lost wing Luke O’Dea, whose impressive outing and blistering turn of pace was cut short after just 27 minutes before he limped off with a left ankle injury. The compensation for Munster was that it brought Earls into the game and he showed his worth by starting, contributing again and then finishing a marvellous try-scoring move three minutes before half-time.

Earls had made the initial break into the Ulster half down the left, and was ready in midfield when the ball was recycled, flicking a quick pass right to his rival for the outside centre jersey Casey Laulala, who displayed equally good hands to move the ball onto Doug Howlett. There was more of the same from the captain and again from Denis Hurley, who cut back inside off the right wing and teed up Earls to dot down for a well deserved five points, Keatley adding the conversion.

Munster lost their second player in the half when No 8 James Coughlan hobbled out of the game.

Ulster stayed in touch, though, with Jackson kicking penalties either side of half time to leave Munster with just a four-point lead at 16-12 after 45 minutes.

Ulster tails were up, the pressure continued to build and a home try seemed inevitable. It duly arrived after 51 minutes when, with the Munster defensive line suitably stretched, Jared Payne exploited the numerical advantage to run in for the five points.

Jackson missed the conversion but the pressure on Munster’s defence continued and with Ulster driving to five metres, matters for Penney’s side went from bad to worse when openside flanker Sean Dougall was yellow-carded in the 56th minute.

Munster appeared all at sea, next having to repel a burst through their thin red line from substitute Craig Gilroy, destroyer of their European dreams last season with a try at Thomond Park, and then having to clear their lines with an undignified hack into the stands after Keatley had fumbled a quick lineout from Howlett on the visitors’ 22.

The home fans, who had roared their signature “Stand Up For The Ulstermen” after Payne’s try, were loving the spectacle of the reeling Reds but Munster slowly began to regain their senses. They gained a foothold in the Ulster half for the first time since the break and with territory secured, replacement scrum-half Murray manoeuvred his 14-man team into position, enabling Keatley to send over his second drop goal of the night — this time a far from straightforward effort 30 yards out. The fly-half nailed it and with it edged Munster back in front at 19-17, just as Dougall rejoined the fray.

Penney’s men had more than survived , they had re-taken the lead but having been restored to their full complement, Munster conceded another penalty and with 12 minutes remaining, Jackson nudged Ulster back in front at 20-19.

Amid all the changes in momentum, Penney reshuffled his back line, introducing fly-half O’Gara with eight minutes to go at Laulala’s expense, with Earls moving in from the wing to outside centre, Hurley moving from full-back to wing and Keatley vacating the 10 position and taking up Hurley’s.

Cue Munster’s turn to rebound, putting Ulster on the back foot with the clock ticking down and with two fly-halves to turn to for a game-clinching drop goal. It was building to a grandstand finish but this time fortune was not on Munster’s side as they went through the phases in similar fashion to that win over Northampton last season.

There would not be 40 phases this time but 23 was still one ruck too many, and Alain Rolland found in favour of the defenders, his outstretched arm signalling the end of Munster’s unbeaten start.

Scorers for Ulster: Try: Payne. Pens: Jackson 5.

Scorers for Munster: Try: Earls. Cons: Keatley. Pens: Keatley 2. Drop goals: Keatley 2.

ULSTER: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave (C Gilroy, 55), L Marshall, M Allen; P Jackson, P Marshall; T Court, N Brady (R Herring, 60), J Afoa; J Muller — captain, L Stevenson (N McComb, 67); S Ferris, S Doyle (M McComish, 68), N Williams.

Replacements not used: C Black, D Fitzpatrick, M Heaney, P Nelson.

MUNSTER: D Hurley; D Howlett — captain, C Laulala (R O’Gara, 72), J Downey, L O’Dea (K Earls, 27); I Keatley, D Williams (C Murray, 53); D Kilcoyne (M Horan, 60), D Varley (M Sherry, 53), BJ Botha (S Archer, 67); Donncha O’Callaghan, B Holland; Dave O’Callaghan, S Dougall, J Coughlan (T O’Donnell, 37).

Yellow card: Dougall 56-66.

Replacement not used: D Foley.

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU).