United Rugby Championship (URC): Ulster 19 Munster 22
Hardly an interpro of huge quality, or festive cheer, both sides struggling to establish any great structure or pattern and only really memorable for Tom Farrell’s hat-trick and Tom O’Toole’s red card.
It was Farrell’s third which sealed the deal for the visitors at the death just when Ulster thought they had done enough, allowing Munster to take a bonus point win and consigning the hosts to a fifth straight loss in all competitions.
O’Toole had an evening of deeply mixed fortune. He scored to get Ulster rolling in the eighth minute and then on the half-hour was shown red for a what was deemed a dangerous clear-out on Alex Nankivell which ultimately forced the centre off the field.
The opening shots for the festive interprovincials came laden with issues for both sides, though in terms of results, Ulster’s need clearly looked the greater having suffered four straight losses to this point – two in the league and, most recently, two hefty losses in Europe.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
Fantastic Farrell hat-trick snatches win for Munster over 14-man Ulster
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington named Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2024
However, the URC table hardly made great reading for either Richie Murphy or Ian Costello with three wins from seven being the return ahead of the game in Belfast.
Ulster, not for the first time this season, started with some venom, opting to put early penalties to the corner and then going for two tap and goes before O’Toole drove through in the eighth minute. The score, under the sticks, was converted easily by John Cooney.
Munster needed a response after surrendering seven so cheaply, but their kick-off went dead. They then won a scrum penalty but missed touch before Jack Crowley did make the corner, only for the visitors to be done for crossing in the lineout.
To say it all looked profligate was putting it mildly.
Then Crowley gave away a cheap penalty for leaning into Werner Kok as he pursued a Cooney high ball, giving Ulster a decent attacking platform. Though they did manage to put around eight phases of close-in forward drives, it ended up with a penalty against the hosts for a clear-out offence and Munster survived.
The stalemate was finally broken just before the half-hour mark, Ulster having invited Munster back with two kicks from Aidan Morgan who then overran his defensive line when Farrell turned on the power with a half-chance to make the line.
Crowley was wide from the difficult angle but Munster, after absorbing waves of Ulster attacks, were right back in it.
Their cause was given further sustenance on 31 minutes when O’Toole was shown red by referee Ben Whitehouse for an illegal clear out on Nankivell. O’Toole’s hit on Nankivell’s leg, crumpling the Munster centre, was considered dangerous drawing the red.
Reduced to 14, Ulster hung on grimly for what remained of a desultory opening half, trooping off with a narrow 7-5 lead.
It took 12 minutes of play before Munster got the scoreboard to move and it came after a Cooney kick travelled too long. Countering, Crowley nudged the ball out to Farrell on the wing and the centre offloaded to Calvin Nash who put his supplier easily through to make the line.
Though Crowley missed the conversion, again from a difficult angle, Munster now had the lead.
Ulster responded with Kok’s follow-up of the restart, bringing them presence in the red zone where they continued to batter at the Munster line, being held up once and then again shortly afterwards.
The pattern continued of Ulster having the ball and not being able to do anything with it, Munster mostly on the back foot and holding out.
It was hardly surprising that Whitehouse ran out of patience with the visitors, sending Rory Scanell to the bin on the hour for an accumulation of Munste offences.
Parity restored, albeit temporarily, Ulster kept going to the corner and eventually replacement Harry Sheridan drove through after a Cooney dart. The scrumhalf’s conversion hit the post to deny them the extras.
Ulster’s two-point lead lasted all of four minutes as Shane Daly was able to gallop away down the left for Munster’s third try, putting them 15-12 ahead after Crowley couldn’t make the conversion stick from the touchline.
The host’s came again but a penalty to the corner was snaffled by Munster who surged downfield through Farrell.
But on 76 minutes the pressure finally told when James McNabney powered through, Cooney converting to make it 19-15.
That left the final act and Farrell’s hat-trick, the score converted by Crowley.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 8 mins: O’Toole try, Cooney con 7-0; 27: Farrell try 7-5; Half-time 7-5; 52: Farrell try 7-10; 65: Sheridan try 12-10; 66: Daly try 12-15; 75: McNabney try, Cooney con 19-15; 78: Farrell try, Crowley con 19-22.
ULSTER: M Lowry; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; A Morgan, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; J McNabney, M Rea, D McCann.
Replacements: R Telfer for Ward (25 mins), S Wilson for Telfer (34), J Murphy for McCloskey (38), J Andrew for Herring (55), Matty Rea for Marcus Rea (56), H Sheridan for Treadwell (60), E O’Sullivan for Warwick (63).
Red card: O’Toole (31 mins).
MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, S Daly; J Crowley, P Patterson; J Ryan, N Scannell, S Archer; T Ahern, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue (capt), J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: R Scannell for Nankivell (34 mins), E Coughlan for Patterson (HIA 45-56, 66), E O’Connell for O’Donoghue, O Jager for Archer, D Kilcoyne for Ryan (all 49), A Kendellen for Hodnett (55), B Gleeson for Wycherley (60), J Ryan for Kilcoyne (68).
Yellow card: R Scannell (60 mins).
Referee: B Whitehouse (Wales).
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to the Counter Ruck podcast for the best rugby chat and analysis
