Ulster ... 26 Munster ... 17: Desire goes a long way. The undeniable impression for vast chunks of a fierce and ferocious all-Irish Celtic League clash was simply that Ulster wanted it more. Though they were sometimes too excitable for their own good, ultimately Neil Doak led them to the winning line by scoring all their points in a dream performance. Gerry Thornley reports from Ravenhill
Led from the front line by Robbie Kempson, a major acquisition, Warren Brosnihan and Neil McMillan - whose battle royale with another young openside Denis Leamy was worth the admission alone - Ulster kept the ball in the hand, recycled it repeatedly and controlled the ball far better. Munster either kicked it away or gave it away too cheaply.
Even so, it took Ulster over an hour to break Munster's calm resistance. For all their monopoly of possession, and territory, Ulster at times lacked the direction of David Humphreys, becoming a bit manic and rushing things.
Their scrum exerted a heavy toll on Munster, but the latter had the better lineout and can take some comfort from their first defeat of the season. They defended with remarkable composure and not least there was the fearless, all-action display of Leamy. What a prospect.
Whether Munster cling on to their status as top dogs in Ireland, the Red Army may be losing theirs as the best supporters. An estimated 7,000-plus attended Ulster's win at home to Neath last week, despite successive defeats beforehand and missing virtually all their big guns. Would such a crowd have turned up in Thomond Park or Donnybrook for the visit of Neath? That figure duly swelled to about the 10,000 mark for the arrival in Ravenhill of Munster and they gave an almighty roar to the men in white when Jeremy Davidson led them out.
Munster looked set for one of their traditionally back-foot Ravenhill starts when Ulster recycled their own kick-off and McMillan made the hard yards in luring a retreating Munster offside for Doak to open the scoring.
However, Munster's inexperience also meant relatively less baggage. There was a youthful irreverence about the way Jeremy Staunton, cool as you like, returned a wayward touch kick by Adam Larkin with a mammoth 45-metre drop goal after Eddie Halvey's gallop off the restart.
Admittedly there was an element of fortune about their lead try. After Donnacha O'Callaghan nicked a Matt Sexton throw, Killian Keane's garryowen was chased by Jason Holland and Mossie Lawlor, for the former to gather a wild bounce and feed Lawlor, the winger calmly stepping inside for his fourth try in four games.
Though Staunton nailed a 45-metre penalty it was Ulster who upped the tempo. One endless bout of recycling and Munster tackling culminated in a tap-over Doak penalty; a second was relieved when Mike Prendergast cleverly read an Ulster back-row move, the scrumhalf's clever box-kick then establishing the field position for Holland to kick a drop-goal.
However, Munster yielded no dividend from McWhirter's sin-binning for punching Leamy, before Doak traded penalties with Staunton and then rewarded another concerted Ulster drive by sniping for the line in the fourth minute of injury time and converting with the last kick of the half.
The body language upon the resumption even suggested that Ulster had more of a bounce in their step, and huge hits by Kempson and Brosnihan when Munster came knocking drew lines in the sand. It was soon all Ulster again. Scott Young and Tyrone Howe both threatened the corners, but Munster clung on; Prendergast making a try-saving tackle, Mick Galwey a big rumble and Killian Keane a steadying kick after Leamy had earned pats all round for forcing a turnover penalty.
It took something special to break their spirit. Johnny Bell and Ryan Constable took scrum ball flat up to the gain line, the latter's quick transfer back inside sending Doak haring through a big gap diagonally for the corner. He even landed the touchline conversion.
The crowd got more into the proceedings and the Welsh referee seemed to get pulled along with it. As a host of decisions went against them, the composure drained out of an increasingly desperate Munster and Doak tagged on another penalty for dissent after Paul Adams whistled without realising Munster had cleared the ruck.
Munster gamely tried to play catch-up, but had been too long on the back foot and Ulster weren't letting go after all their hard work. Doak missed another penalty chance and Larkin a drop goal attempt, but no matter, the old Ravenhill order had been restored.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2 mins: Doak pen 3-0; 4 mins: Staunton drop goal 3-3; 9 mins: Lawlor try 3-8; 13 mins: Staunton pen 3-11; 20 mins: Doak pen 6-11; 25 mins: Holland drop goal 6-14; 39 mins: Doak pen 9-14; 40 mins: Staunton pen 9-17; 40 mins: Doak try and con 16-17; (half-time: 16-17); 65 mins: Doak try and con 23-17; 77 mins: Doak pen 26-17.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping, R Constable, J Bell, T Howe; A Larkin, N Doak; J Fitzpatrick, M Sexton, R Kempson, M Blair, J Davidson (Capt), W Brosnihan, T McWhirter, N McMillan. Replacements: S Young for Topping (35 mins), P Shields for Sexton (54 mins), P Johns for Davidson (59 mins), S Stewart for Bell (75 mins), N Best for Brosnihan (83 mins). Sin-binned: McWhirter (26-37 mins).
MUNSTER: J Staunton; D Crotty, M Mullins, J Holland, M Lawlor; K Keane, M Prendergast; M Horan, J Blaney, R Laffan, M Galwey, M O'Driscoll, D O'Callaghan, E Halvey, D Leamy. Replacements: D Malone for Prendergast (61 mins), S Kerr for Laffan (66 mins), J Fogarty for Blaney, C McMahon for Galwey (both 71 mins), T Hogan for Halvey (84 mins).
Referee: Paul Adams (Wales).
