Munster 47
Connacht 12
A DOMINANT SECOND-HALF performance saw Munster power to victory over Connacht at Thomond Park, the defending URC champions running in seven tries in a 47-12 win in Limerick.
Munster led 14-7 after an entertaining first-half but pulled clear after the break to win by 35 points – with RG Snyman, Calvin Nash, Alex Nankivell, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Tom Ahern and Shane Daly scoring the Munster tries.
Connacht’s two tries came through Byron Ralston, who crossed in each half.
Pete Wilkins’ side now face an uphill battle to qualify for the URC playoffs while Munster have jumped to second in the table.
Munster were on top in the early exchanges, Connacht giving away four penalties in quick succession as Graham Rowntree’s side build pressure in the 22, only to leave empty-handed after Peter Dooley came up with a big penalty win.
The home side continued to dominate possession and while Connacht’s defence was proving difficult to break down, their resilience cracked after losing Shamus Hurley-Langton to a yellow card on 18 minutes.
From the resulting penalty, RG Snyman crashed over from close range to mark his first start at Thomond Park with a try. Jack Crowley converted to hand Munster a well-deserved 7-0 lead.
Connacht then suffered another setback when they lost in-form scrum-half Matthew Devine to injury, and things went from bad to worse when Munster pounced for their second try on 26 minutes.
Launching a devastating attack from a scrum on halfway, Calvin Nash ran a smart line to latch onto a disguised Crowley pass and race home from distance. Crowley took full advantage by adding his second conversion, splitting the posts at the second attempt after protests from some Connacht players disrupted his first effort, which had sailed narrowly wide.
The game looked in danger of slipping away from Connacht but Pete Wilkins’ men ended the half of a positive note.
They finally enjoyed a spell of pressure in the Munster half towards end of the first period but struggled to find a way through a stubborn Munster defence. A penalty on the edge of the 22 gave them a good opportunity to strike, and playing off the scrum Jack Carty’s superb pass sent Byron Ralston over in the corner.
Carty’s conversion cut Munster’s lead to seven points, the home side leading 14-7 at half-time.
Connacht made a positive start to the second period but couldn’t capitalise before Munster extended their lead.
A brilliant break from Tom Farrell brought Connacht down the pitch before Carty spilled the pass close to the Munster line.
Connacht regathered but turned the ball over when Bundee Aki lost possession under pressure from Gavin Coombes. The excellent Alex Nankivell was on hand to scoop up the loose ball and run in Munster’s third try from distance, with Crowley again adding the extras.
Connacht then saw another opportunity come and go when Hurley-Langton went over in the corner, only for replays to show the flanker’s foot was in touch before dotting down.
Munster’s responded by adding the bonus-point try just after the hour mark.
A series of smart offloads allowed Munster to break from their own half, before Nankivell slipped a pass inside to Simon Zebo, who broke the line and played in Conor Murray, the replacement scrum-half left with an easy finish. Joey Carbery’s conversion pushed Munster 21 points clear.
A frantic second half continued as Connacht struck back immediately, Ralston going over for his second after collecting another brilliant pass from Carty, who couldn’t find the target with his conversion.
Munster’s backline sparked into life again as the game entered the final 10 minutes, Nankivell linking up with Antoine Frisch who in turn produced a lovely offload that sent Carbery over, the out-half converting his own score.
Munster were now rampant and added a sixth try moments later, Thomas Ahern gathering a lost Connacht lineout and bouncing Farrell’s tackle as he broke down the left flank to score. This time Carbery’s conversion pulled wide.
The hosts continued to pile the misery on Connacht and ended the game with a seventh try, Shane Daly scoring after more good work by Zebo, with Carbery’s third conversion the final act of the evening.
Munster scorers:
Tries – Snyman, Nash, Nankivell, Murray, Carbery, Ahern, Daly
Conversions – Crowley [3/3], Carbery [3/4]
Connacht scorers:
Tries – Ralston [2]
Conversion – Carty [1/1]
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien (Antoine Frisch, 47), Shane Daly; Jack Crowley (Joey Carbery, 60), Craig Casey (Conor Murray, 59); Jeremy Loughman (Mark Donnelly, 69), Niall Scannell (Eoghan Clarke, 64), Stephen Archer (Oli Jager, 51); RG Snyman (Tom Ahern, 57), Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen (Gavin Coombes, 46), Jack O’Donoghue.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran (Cathal Forde, HT); Shane Jennings, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (capt), Matthew Devine (Caolin Blade, 24); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan, 52), Dave Heffernan (Dylan Tierney-Martin,, 67), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier, 53); Joe Joyce, Oisín Dowling (Niall Murray, 61); Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver (Sean Jansen, 52), Paul Boyle.
Yellow card: Hurley-Langton 19
Referee: Adam Jones [WRU]
