UNDER-18 INTERPROVINCIAL Munster 23 Connacht 15:MUNSTER under-18s got their campaign off to a winning start thanks to tries from Steve McMahon and Stephen Fitzgerald at Musgrave Park yesterday.

Munster impressed throughout, but the boot of Gearóid Lyons proved the difference as the home side had too much in reserve against Connacht in a thrilling contest.

Lyons got Munster off to a great start with a penalty in the second minute, but Dwayne Corcoran followed up to draw Connacht level soon after.

But Munster struck a decisive blow after 21 minutes when fullback Fitzgerald finished off a slick set-piece move through the backs for a wonderful try.

Lyons found the target with another penalty for Munster but two more three-pointers in succession from Corcoran meant Connacht only trailed by 13-9 at half-time.

Corcoran repeated the dose immediately after the restart to pull Connacht within one point of their hosts, but McMahon’s intercept try in the last quarter sealed the win for Munster.

MUNSTER: S Fitzgerald; R Deegan, S McMahon, JJ O'Neill, G O'Shea; G Lyons, B Riley; L O'Connor, L O'Halloran, L McMahon; D Lane, M O'Donnell; M Carey, D St Ledger, C Blake. Replacements: A Moynihan for Fitzgerald, D O'Connell for O'Halloran, J Boland for McMahon, S McNulty for O'Connor, E O'Keeffe for Deegan, S MacCarthy for Lane. E Barry for Riley, A Moynihan for Boland.

CONNACHT: C Evans; F Stoneman, C Lowndes, D Corcoran, P Glavey; S Tobin, J Mitchell; C Kyne, P O'Toole, C Hansbury; A Broderick, P Claffey; E Galvin, K Hastings, J Codyre. Replacements: M Riley for Claffey, H Hughes for Stoneman, C Gavin for O'Toole, S Doyle for Evans, C Keane for Tobin.

Referee: N Connell(IRFU).