Four-try Hodnett and hat-trick man Kendellen lead Munster to big win over understrength Ulster
ON THE RAMPAGE: Munster's John Hodnett scores his side's first try. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho
Munster took a massive step towards the URC play-offs at Thomond Park on Saturday evening as John Hodnett scored four tries to lead his side to a bonus-point victory over derby rivals Ulster but the win came at a potentially high price with a string of injuries.
Starting flanker Hodnett’s try feast was backed up by a second-half hat-trick from replacement back-rower Alex Kendellen as Munster made the most of facing an under-strength Ulster with designs on their Challenge Cup semi-final next Saturday.
Not that Munster will care as they move closer to securing a top-eight finish and Champions Cup rugby for next season with two games of the regular season remaining.
What will concern head coach Clayton McMillan is the loss of captain Tadhg Beirne, fellow lock Jean Kleyn, wing Calvin Nash, centre Tom Farrell and tighthead prop Oli Jager to injuries, while Jack Crowley was withdrawn from the matchday squad with a possible hamstring issue sustained during the warm-up.
The loss of Ireland fly-half Crowley saw JJ Hanrahan parachuted into the number 10 jersey ahead of kick-off, while McMillan saw South African Kleyn removed after 16 minutes and Ireland wing Nash on 29.
The second half saw more injury concerns as Munster lost centre Tom Farrell and tighthead prop Oli Jager to shoulder and head issues, respectively.
In the lead-up to the game it was Ulster with the injury crisis, missing a string of frontline stars following their derby defeat at Leinster seven days earlier and also resting key players ahead of next Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final at home to Exeter Chiefs. Yet they started in positive fashion, belying their under-strength selection.
Richie Murphy’s team, featuring three senior debutants and a first-time starter in former Munster sub-academy tighthead Bryan O’Connor, took the game to the home side from the off and grabbed an early lead after wing Aitzol Arenzana-King scored smartly in the right corner.
Another former Munster man, fly-half Jake Flannery converted from the touchline and Ulster were 7-0 in front after just a dozen minutes.
By that stage, Kleyn had spent 10 minutes in the treatment room for a Head Injury Assessment and he would depart for the duration less than two minutes after his return, replaced permanently by Edwin Edogbo in the 16th minute.
Yet Munster caught a break when one of the Ulster debutants, academy flanker Tom Brigg was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on and the home side made hay in his absence.
A double from John Hodnett, the first to finish a lineout drive from the penalty that accrued from Brigg’s misdemeanour, and then a score from close range in the 29th minute got Munster back on track during the sin-binning and they took a 12-7 lead into the interval, Hanrahan having converted his second kick.
The second Munster try also marked the exit of Nash, who had led his side onto the field to mark his 100th appearance for the province.
In a week in which his new two-year contract was announced, the Ireland wing had spoken of his relief at putting a cursed run of injuries behind him. Yet there was more agony to come when he was forced off clutching the top of his hamstring on 29 minutes.
Nash’s departure had seen a backline reshuffle, with Alex Nankivell moving from midfield to the right wing as Dan Kelly, one of only two non-forwards on the bench, moved to inside centre.
Nankivell returned to centre, with Kelly switching from 12 to 13, when Farrell was forced off on 43 minutes, his place taken by flanker Kendellen, with Hodnett moving to the wing.
The replacement made the required impact, with tries on 47 and 53 minutes as Munster secured a bonus point before Hodnett sealed a remarkable hat-trick two minutes later.
It was the pick of Munster’s five scores, as Craig Casey set his team-mates into attack with a pass outside sent from behind his back, while No.8 Gavin Coombes supplied the final assist for his back-row partner with a back of the hand pass.
Hodnett still had work to do down the right flank but he brushed off a couple of Ulster tackles to score in the corner, advancing Munster’s lead to 29-7.
Kendellen added his third on 69 minutes after replacement prop John Andrew had scored Ulster’s second four minutes earlier, with Hanrahan adding his third conversion to the delight of the 17,364 crowd.
There was even a chance to boo referee Sam Grove-White for denying replacement academy scrum-half Ben O’Donovan his first Munster try and spotting an obstruction in the build-up.
Yet nothing was going to prevent Munster securing back-to-back URC wins for the first time since October and they will enter the final two rounds, away to Connacht on May 9 and home to the Lions a week later, in buoyant mood, albeit with a nervous eye on a now-crowded treatment room.
S Daly; C Nash (D Kelly, 29), T Farrell (A Kendellen, 43), A Nankivell, A Smith; JJ Hanrahan, C Casey (B O’Donovan, 70); J Loughman (M Milne, 54), D Barron (L Barron, 49), O Jager (M Ala’alatoa, 45 - HIA); J Kleyn (E Edogbo, 4-14 – HIA & 16), T Beirne – captain; T Ahern, J Hodnett, G Coombes (B Gleeson, 60).
M Lowry – captain (J Humphreys, 61); A Arenzana-King, E McIlroy, B Carson (J Scott, 15), B Moxham; J Flannery, C McKee (D Shanahan, 54); E O’Sullivan (C Reid, 31), J McCormick (J Andrew, 57), B O’Connor (T McAllister, 39); H Sheridan, C Irvine; J McKillop (J Hopes, 54), T Brigg (Marcus Rea, 57), L McLoughlin.
T Brigg 23-33 mins.
Sam Grove-White (Scotland).
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