High drama as Tom Farrell snatches huge win for Munster away to Ulster
Munster’s Shane Daly scores their third try against Ulster. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
A scintillating Tom Farrell hat-trick led Munster to a fantastic bonus point victory over Ulster in their pre-Christmas URC encounter at Ravenhill on Friday evening, with the centre bagging the winner with the last play.
Ulster started in the ascendancy with them battering away in the early stages until eventually the red line cracked with Ulster prop Tom O’Toole crashing over under the posts for the opening try after eight minutes.
The mistakes from last week's loss in Castres were on show again with similar issues occurring around decision-making, discipline and handling. Given Munster's difficulty in carrying out the basics you wonder should they have gone for the posts with the two central penalties they won deep in the Ulster half, as they coughed up possession both times they went down the line.
Munster had no possession or territory for the opening 25 minutes, but when they eventually got their hands on the ball they made it count. Jack Crowley, Mike Haley and Shane Daly combined to feed Tom Farrell and the centre survived the first hit and managed to make it to the line for a superb finish.
Try scorer O’Toole was then brandished with a straight red card for dropping all his considerable weight on the prone leg of Alex Nankivell at a ruck in the 30th minute.
A lacklustre first half ended with the bizarre sight of Ulster being happy to kick the ball out while attacking, to end proceedings, with them leading 7-5 at the break.
The second half was a slow burner but Munster eventually sparked it into life thanks to a wonderful crossfield kick from Jack Crowley to the loitering Farrell on the right wing in the 51st minute. Farrell then popped inside, basketball style, to Haley and the full-back completed the 1-2 to send Farrell galloping away to score his second.
Ulster bombarded the Munster line soon after, but the Munster line held firm, with Gavin Coombes holding them up over the tryline, which allowed Munster clear with a goal line drop-out.
Rory Scannell was binned in the 59th minute for persistent team infringements as Ulster kept coming, and they eventually broke through with Harry Sheridan lunging over the line in the 63rd minute to give the Ulster a 12-10 lead.
After taking so long to score Ulster were sucker punched when Munster scored a brilliant try in the 67th minute. Calvin Nash and Farrell combined to put 100-cap man Shane Daly away, and by dummying a pass he created the time and space to get over.
James McNabney crashed over in the 75th minute after a huge carry from Scott Wilson created the opportunity, but there was to be no denying Farrell as he crashed over in the 79th minute to win it for Munster.
J Cooney (con), T O’Toole, H Sheridan, J McNabney (1 try each).
J Crowley (1 con), T Farrell (3 tries), S Daly (1 try).
M Lowry; W Kok, J Postlethwaite, S McCloskey, Z Ward; A Morgan, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O'Toole; A O'Connor (c), K Treadwell; J McNabney, Marcus Rea, D McCann.
R Telfer for Z Ward (25), S Wilson for R Telfer (34), J Murphy for S McCloskey (39), J Andrew for R Herring (55), H Sheridan for K Treadwell (61), E O’Sullivan for A Warwick (63), Matty Rea for Marcus Rea (65).
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 (c), J Hodnett, G Coombes.
R Scannell for A Nankivell (33), E Coughlan for P Patterson (44), D Kilcoyne, O Jager and E O’Connell for J Ryan, S Archer and J O’Donoghue (49), A Kendellen (55), P Patterson for E Coughlan (56), B Gleeson for F Wycherley (61), J Ryan for D Kilcoyne (69).
Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
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