Munster pip Connacht in pulsating 10-try bonanza to throw season open in style
Mike Haley congratulates teammate Shane Daly of Munster, 11, after scoring their side's fourth try during the United Rugby Championship match between Munster and Connacht at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
If this is the way the new URC season is going to progress, Irish rugby supporters had better buckle up after Munster and Connacht served up a 10-try derby thriller at Thomond Park on Saturday.
Munster shaded this pulsating opening-round clash, following on from Leinster’s narrow but high-scoring victory at Edinburgh the previous evening, with a missed first-half conversion from the otherwise outstanding Connacht fly-half Josh Ioane the only thing to separate these interprovincial rivals, each of whom collected try bonus points and the visitors adding a losing bonus point which ensured they did not return to Galway empty handed.
It was the least they deserved after pushing Munster all the way. Connacht had opened a 12-0 lead through Ioane and fellow debutant Ben Murphy, his half-back partner, Munster hitting back through man of the match Alex Nankivell and Mike Haley tries, only for the visitors to take a 19-14 lead into the half-time break thanks to a second try for Ben Murphy just before the interval.
Munster hit back straight after the break through John Hodnett, Connacht responded through David Hawkshaw and the tit for tat continued as Gavin Coombes’ score was cancelled out Cathal Forde. Crucially Munster’s goal kickers had been more accurate, debutant fly-half Billy Burns nailing three conversions as Ioane slotted three from his four before Tony Butler added another two-pointer for the home side and then sealed victory with a 70th minute touchline conversion of Shane Daly’s try.
Much like their respective pre-seasons, Connacht started fastest, punishing Munster’s sloppiness in possession with two first-quarter tries from their impressive debutant half-backs, out-half Josh Ioane and scrum-half Ben Murphy on 14 and 21 minutes, the number 10’s conversion of his own score pushing the visitors into a 12-0 lead.
It had look all so easy for the westerners, striking first from a scrum following a John Hodnett knock-on as Ben Murphy saw a channel open up for him down the blindside to advance into the Munster 22, sending a skip pass to the left wing, from where Shayne Bolton fired a pass back inside to the supporting runner Ioane.
The second try came through territory gained from Munster’s concession of a ruck penalty, the resulting lineout on the right moved along the line where captain Cian Prendergast found Mack Hansen, playing for the first time since a January 1 shoulder injury. The Ireland wing’s crossfield carry stretched the home defence until he found Ioane five metres out. The fly-half looked to have knocked on under a tackle from Munster full-back Mike Haley but his popped up pass found half-back partner Murphy whose try stood following a TMO check having initially been ruled out by referee Chris Busby.
Munster finally sprang to life but were again guilty of carelessness with the ball, a knock-on three minutes from the line preventing an instant scoreboard response. Yet they had seized the momentum and when flanker Ruadhan Quinn broke down the left wing, his pass back inside put in Craig Casey, whose progress to the tryline was halted by a high tackle from Connacht full-back Santiago Cordero. It earned the Argentina star a yellow card and Munster took full advantage.
Alex Nankivell scored his side’s first try of the URC campaign from the resulting penalty and five-metre lineout on 28 minutes, Billy Burns converting, and struck once more against 14-man Connacht four minutes later as Haley danced through the visiting defence, his fly-half’s conversion putting Munster into a 14-12 lead.
Yet Connacht had the last laugh of the opening 40 when scrum-half Ben Murphy, the son of Ulster head coach Richie Murphy, scored his second of the half, once again profiting from some Ioane magic. The number 10’s linebreak drawing last defender Burns and his pass perfectly timed for his half-back partner to score, the resulting conversion from Cathal Forde ending the half with Connacht in a 19-14 lead.
The ebb and flow continued after the interval as Hodnett crashed over on 45 minutes, his try converted by Burns before Connacht retook the lead eight minutes later at 26-21 through replacement back David Hawkshaw. Ioane added the extras moments after replacement lock Oisin Dowling had been held up over the line by Gavin Coombes.
It was Coombes who turned the tables next to finish an attack started by Casey’s quickly taken scrum free-kick, the No.8 powering through a tackle to reach the line on 58 minutes with Burns’ replacement Tony Butler once again putting Munster into the lead with his conversion, the home side ahead by 28-26 entering the final quarter.
It made for compulsive viewing as the derby rivals traded blow for blow, the punches unrelenting as Connacht once more edged back in front five minutes later. The westerners had again come up just short moments earlier, with Nankivell narrowly winning a footrace to deny debutant Piers O’Conor, only for midfield partner Forde to make sure with a powerful carry. Ioane’s conversion made it 33-28 and forced Munster to yet again forge a way back into the contest.
It did not take long, to the delight of the majority in the Thomond Park crowd of 15,075, some concerted Munster pressure inside the Connacht 22 creating space out wide as the forwards punched a hole on the right and Haley found the pass to left wing Shane Daly to score in the opposite corner. Butler’s touchline conversion found its mark and Munster were back in front at 35-33 with 10 minutes to play and this time their lead remained intact.
M Haley; T Abrahams, T Farrell (S O’Brien,74), A Nankivell, S Daly (S O’Brien, 37-HT - HIA); B Burns (T Butler, 53), C Casey; J Loughman (J Wycherley, 51), D Barron – captain (N Scannell, 63), J Ryan (O Jager, 51); J Kleyn (J O’Donoghue, 55), F Wycherley; R Quinn (A Kendellen, 51), J Hodnett, G Coombes.
E Coughlan
S Cordero; M Hansen, P O’Conor, C Forde, S Bolton (D Hawkshaw, 33); J Ioane, B Murphy (C Blade, 63); D Buckley (P Dooley, 51), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin, 66), J Aungier (S Illo, 51); J Joyce (O Dowling, 51), D Murray; J Murphy, C Oliver (S Hurley-Langton, 52), C Heffernan – captain.
Yellow card: S Cordero 27-37 Replacement not used: S Jansen.
Referee: C Busby (IRFU) end
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