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Duncan Casey celebrates Munster's second try. James Crombie/INPHO

Connacht's top six lead is down to a tiebreaker as Munster put six tries past the westerners

Anthony Foley’s side recorded a comfortable win at Thomond Park.

Munster 42 Connacht 20

THE DIFFERENCE, IN the end, was Munster’s efficiency in attack. When they made raids into the Connacht 22 they almost always left with points, often coming away with seven.

When the game was in the balance, Pat Lam’s men had a few chances to cross the whitewash but came up short. One chance in the second half saw out-half Jack Carty hold onto the ball when a pass to his left could have seen Matt Healy cross in the corner.

Connacht left that attack with three points but minutes later Duncan Casey was rumbling over from the back of a maul, which was a nice summation of the game overall.

Connacht started brightly and had three points on the board inside the opening few minutes but the home side had their first try soon after.

A typically bruising CJ Stander carry close to the line sucked in defenders and Billy Holland dove over in the newly created space.

That was all the scoring until Casey responded to Carty’s second penalty by crossing the line midway through the second half. Minutes later Simon Zebo scooped a loopy Denis Hurley pass off his bootlaces and wriggled over to extend Munster’s lead.

Replacement out-half Miah Nikora reduced the gap to eight when he picked up a loose ball on the left flank and sprinted 30m to score but that just woke Munster up.

They crossed for three more tries in the final ten minutes as Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley and Keith Earls scored to give Munster a healthy 20-point advantage, with the Australian’s score securing a bonus point for the home side.

Shane O’Leary scored a late consolation for Connacht two minutes from time.

It was a deeply disappointing outing for Pat Lam’s side on a day that saw Edinburgh draw level with them on 43 points. However, the westerners hold onto sixth spot since they have a better points difference.

You could look at the scoreline and see the eight tries that were scored and presume this was a rip-roaring affair of end-to-end rugby. In reality it was an often dreary encounter only brightened by the odd moment.

If anything, it makes you appreciate the rarity of that Six Nations Saturday even more.

Connacht’s Champions Cup qualification chances have changed without them kicking a ball

Apparently England’s fourth choice scrum-half told number five to pipe down last night

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31 Comments
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    Mute Conor Cahill
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    Mar 28th 2015, 7:29 PM

    To be fair to Connacht, we really were not that great until after 50 minutes. The bounces of the ball were key for us though, whenever the grubber kicks were made by both sides.

    I REALLY hope that CJ does the right thing and puts on the green jersey! He never stops picking up MOTM awards!

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    Mute Jonny Cantwell
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    Mar 28th 2015, 7:48 PM

    He must have a separate room in his house specifically for MOTM awards!

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    Mute Conor Cahill
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    Mar 28th 2015, 8:47 PM

    I have no doubt in my mind that he does! I wonder could he have ever imagined how his career would have panned out the way it did when he first arrived!

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    Mute Luke O'Mahony
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    Mar 29th 2015, 7:22 AM

    He is eligible to play for Ireland the day before the World Cup :)

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    Mute Donal Treacy
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    Mar 28th 2015, 7:29 PM

    I don’t care how boring the rest of the play is. Not often you get 6 tries in an interpro match. Hopefully Munster will have used the 6 Nations as time to reflect and we can finish out the league in good form.

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    Mute Paul O'Connor
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    Mar 28th 2015, 8:48 PM

    Heaslip must be dreading November with Stander playing like he is ,and so consistently.

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    Mute s mc
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    Mar 28th 2015, 7:55 PM

    Connacht are really stretched to breaking point in the back line at the mo. Really need our injured players back asap!!

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    Mute Bret Maher
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    Mar 29th 2015, 12:09 AM

    I was at the game tonight,CJ was by a long way the best forward on the pitch… I would love to see him in an Irish shirt.

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    Mute Shane O'Donnell
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    Mar 29th 2015, 9:43 AM

    I hate this project player stuff. South Africans playing for France, kiwis playing for ireland, meh. International rugby shouldn’t be about where you are played to play rugby, it should be about where you are from.

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    Mute Shane O'Donnell
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    Mar 29th 2015, 9:43 AM

    Paid*

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    Mute Robert Behan
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    Mar 29th 2015, 10:24 AM

    You arnt wrong but all the team’s do it particularly the big boys.

    I’d say England are the chief offenders despite the massive playing pool!

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    Mute Shane O'Donnell
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    Mar 29th 2015, 12:06 PM

    And France with their South Africans, it’s a joke.

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    Mute Dave O'Shaughnessy
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    Mar 29th 2015, 12:14 PM

    France actually have rugby academies set up in South Sea Islands (French colonies) now, scouting for young talent, and attracting young players from other islands close by with contracts – crazy stuff!

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    Mute Shane O'Donnell
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    Mar 29th 2015, 1:03 PM

    That’s the problem if you have lax rules like this, someone will abuse them. then again the IRFU have a policy of ‘project’ players where they specifically target foreign players to play for Ireland. A lot of these guys would probably never come to Ireland if they weren’t paid to play rugby here. Playing international rugby for Ireland should be the realisation of a childhood dream, not diminished to nothing more then a good career move. And I know everyone else is at it, doesn’t make it right.

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    Mute Donal Treacy
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    Mar 30th 2015, 9:07 AM

    Agree entirely Shane.

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    Mute Damien Costello
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    Mar 28th 2015, 10:33 PM

    very competitive from connacht for 50 mins and probably should have been ahead they butchered some very good chances in the 22, Munsters class told in the last 30 and they were too powerful. Hopefully Lam can bring in a new Fly-Half because Carthy doesnt look up to it, started season off well but has fallen away badly since january his decision making is poor and execution leaves a lot to be desired and goal kicking is not great. Connacht have only won 3 of their last 8 games which is worrying seeing as they have to win 3 out of 4 at least and maybe all the games. Still not ruling them out yet for top 6 though , have 3 homes left and as munster and leinster found out connacht are very difficult to beat in the sportsground.

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    Mute Joseph Gilmartin
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    Mar 28th 2015, 11:12 PM

    Have to agree with you about Carty, he’s just doesn’t seem capable to deal with the big games. He’s only good when we have a lead and are pushing on.

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    Mute Donal Treacy
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    Mar 29th 2015, 2:02 AM

    IRFU missed a trick by not managing to get Madigan or Hanrahan in there.

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    Mute Joseph Gilmartin
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    Mar 29th 2015, 2:14 AM

    Ya I completely agree, just imagine a back line of Marmion, Madigan, Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Danny Poolman and Matt Healy!

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    Mute Robert Behan
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    Mar 29th 2015, 10:26 AM

    Guessing that depends on if they are contracted to the IRFU and not the provinces?

    Also, as much as it would be great for Connacht to have players like Madigan and Hanrahan, who says they would want to play for Connacht?

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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    Mar 28th 2015, 8:48 PM

    Get in…!!!!

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    Mute China Photo Daily
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    Mar 28th 2015, 11:37 PM

    Stander and Archer coming on seemed to settle the whole Munster team. I like the look of the Munster pack now, there is quality in every position and some solid backups. Zebo showed why we love him and hate him, he had a wild pass into touch and held on for two stupid penalties but he made huge yards throughout the game and scored an incredibly classy try. Earls is the form back in the country right now. Still not convinced of the midfield 10 through 13.

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    Mute Shane O'Donnell
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    Mar 29th 2015, 9:20 AM

    Wheels are threatening to come off for Connacht.

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    Mute Dave O'Shaughnessy
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    Mar 29th 2015, 12:16 PM

    They have an incredibly tough run-in, it’ll be an amazing achievement if they do it, best of luck to them.

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    Mute john connor
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    Mar 28th 2015, 9:21 PM

    Good performance by Munster, but is Stander really that great? I think he’s fallen between two stools a bit in terms of being a guy who was used to playing the SA way, but is now trying to play the Irish way. He was very quiet away to Clermont and in some other games as well. Obviously he has time on his side but personally I’d prefer to see O’Donoghue in there at 8 atm, with Stander competing with Dave O’Callaghan for the 6 jumper

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    Mute Eoghan O'Sullivan
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    Mar 28th 2015, 9:35 PM

    He has more motm awards than any other player in Europe this year, 15 tries across all competitions and most of our lads were quiet against Clermont, they’re the second best side in Europe without question. Out of curiosity, what’s the Irish way for 8′s to play, because the South African way looks a decent amount more effective, considering they have Duane Vermeulen and we have Jamie Heaslip, it’s a serious gulf in class.

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    Mute Paul O'Connor
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    Mar 28th 2015, 9:39 PM

    He’s the best player in the league, and has the stats to prove it.WHat more do you want?

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    Mute john connor
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    Mar 28th 2015, 9:54 PM

    Stander has said himself that he had to learn new technique for the contact area. I can’t find the article now but he said that the SA way is for the forwards to just run straight at the opposition defenders and try to dominate the contact. Here players use footwork before contact more (think Heaslip or James Coughlan) and aim to have a high work-rate. Stander has a way to go in my opinion before he is effective against teams that the Munster pack as a whole aren’t physically on top of

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    Mute Eoghan O'Sullivan
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    Mar 28th 2015, 10:34 PM

    That sounds like a player talking up the hemisphere he’s currently playing in to be honest, if it gets him an Ireland jersey I’ll be more than happy.

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    Mute mark m
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    Mar 29th 2015, 2:10 PM

    Bottom line is we’re 6th with 4 to go with the same amount of wins (or near enough) as leinster, would have taken this at start of the season, benches told after 60 minutes vrs munster, our squad just couldn’t cope with the level of injuries, aki/ Kearney/ white/ henshaw/ Ronaldson etc will be back for ulster match

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    Mute Declan O'meara
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    Mar 29th 2015, 2:29 PM

    Robert, England are only trotting after NZ in regard to foreign player rule , they have been doing this for decades , do you think that mama nanu is a NZ name or lowmu , they have been raiding the islanders for years and years and it happens in NH they start bitching and moaning .

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