Munster dig out victory over Connacht at Thomond Park
Munster's Jack O'Donoghue catches the ball from a lineout against Connacht. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
There was only one score in the second half of this URC tie at Thomond Park on Saturday night, but Jack O’Donoghue’s try proved to be the winning one, as Munster maintained their 100% winning start to the season, albeit in scrappy fashion.
After a few false starts, Munster eventually opened the scoring in the 14th minute when blindside and captain O’Donooghue sauntered over in the right corner after a well-worked team try. Diarmuid Kilgallen made the initial break down the left, where he displayed his shearing speed to gain considerable ground. Munster then quickly recycled to the other side of the pitch and the impressive Alex Nankivell put centre partner Dan Kelly through a hole, and the former England international had the calmness to put O’Donoghue away.
Connacht responded immediately when they got a succession of quick ball inside the Munster 22, and the move ended with outhalf Josh Ioane popping a delicious offload to winger Byron Ralston to cross in the 19th minute.
Ralston ran in his second in the 28th minute after Connacht capitalised on poor Munster discipline to get within a few metres of the Munster tryline and again it was Ioane who assisted, with a quick looping pass out to the right to Ralston, who had the simple task of walking it in.
The visitors were very much in the ascendancy at this juncture, but they shot themselves in the foot when a flat Ioane pass fell straight into the breadbasket of Diarmuid Kilgallen on halfway and the speedster was never going to be caught as he registered an intercept try against his former club in the 33rd minute.
Connacht had one last ferocious attack with the last play of the half, when they threw the kitchen sink at the Munster line, and after they drove over the line Paul Boyle was eventually awarded the try, after the ref had consulted with his TMO, even though it looked as if it had been held up by Michael Milne, as Connacht led 12-15 at the break.
The third quarter was attritional, with Munster starting to get control, but they were meeting stiff Connacht resilience, and they came away with zero points from a number of visits to the Connacht 22, with a penalty awarded against them in the 59th minute for some choice language towards the referee, while in possession, being particularly frustrating.
Young scrum half Jake O’Riordan debuted for Munster just past the hour mark, as Clayton McMillan’s side badly needed a spark.
They got it when O’Donoghue played the captain’s role by barging his way over from close range in the 68th minute, with the aid of a Ronan Foxe latch, to give his side a narrow lead.
As well as O’Donoghue the likes of Gavin Coombes, Shane Daly and Alex Nankivell really fronted up in red, as Munster turned what was looking like being a frustrating loss in front of their home fans into a valuable hard-fought victory.
JJ Hanrahan (1 con), J O’Donoghue (2 tries), D Killgallen (1 try).
B Ralston (2 tries), P Boyle (1 try).
S Daly; D Kilgallen, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, E Coughlan; M Milne, L Barron, J Ryan; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O'Donoghue (c), J Hodnett, G Coombes.
S McCarthy for T Abrahams (15), R Quinn for J Hodnett (45), N Scannell and J Loughman for L Barron and M Milne (55), E O'Connell for F Wycherley (55), J O’Riordan and T Butler for E Coughlan and JJ Hanrahan (61), L Barron and R Foxe for N Scannell and J Ryan (64), JJ Hanrahan for A Nankivell (78).
H West; B Ralston, H Gavin, C Forde, F Treacy; J Ioane, B Murphy; J Duggan, D Heffernan, S Illo; J Joyce, D Murray; J Murphy, P Boyle (capt), S Jansen.
S Naughton for F Treacy (9), N Murray for J Joyce (33), S O’Brien for S Jansen (40), M Devine for B Ralston (42), P Dooley and F Barrett for J Duggan and S Illo (49), D Tierney-Martin for D Heffernan (61), D O’Connor for P Boyle (68).
Andrea Piardi (FIR).
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