Munster rally to see off provincial rivals

Three second-half penalties from Ronan O'Gara helped Munster beat Ulster in the battle of Ireland's champion sides at Musgrave Park.

Helped by their returning internationals, the Heineken Cup holders overcame a slow start - they were 10-0 down inside seven minutes - to gain only their second win of the season and some momentum in the Magners League.

Before kick-off, it was second from the top playing second from the bottom and the table positions rung true.

Following a David Humphreys penalty after 93 seconds, Isaac Boss flicked an inside pass for former All Black Paul Steinmetz to dart in under the posts.

Humphreys added the extras and the high-flying visitors, who did the double over Munster last season, had the ideal platform to record their fourth win in five outings.

But Munster dug their heels in and faced with a catalogue of bad luck - hooker Frankie Sheahan cried off with a hamstring injury forcing temporary signing Andy Kyriacou to start, while back line trio Christian Cullen, Shaun Payne and Anthony Horgan all sustained injuries during a ferocious 80 minutes - they played to their strengths.

O'Gara's boot and their magnificent maul did the business as Ulster's early exuberance was quashed. After successive lineout mauls on the 20-minute mark, flanker David Wallace plunged over the Ulster line amid a spate of fisticuffs.

Ulster stand-in captain Justin Harrison squared up to Donncha O'Callaghan and after O'Gara's conversion, the former Wallaby was sin-binned for his overzealousness at the breakdown.

With tempers cooled, Munster moved into the lead after 27 minutes when a superb pick-up from Trevor Halstead saw the red tide rampage forward and Peter Stringer's long pass to the right put Horgan scampering in.

Munster remained in front until Humphreys punished O'Callaghan for not rolling away in the tackle with his second penalty, and Mark McCall's men took a 13-12 lead into the break.

The second half was a slow burner as both sides struggled to retain possession and further injuries disrupted the game. Worryingly for Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan, Ulster were forced to haul off Tommy Bowe with a thigh injury.

O'Gara kicked the hosts, who had struggled with their lineout, into the lead on 52 minutes after Bowe had failed to release on the deck.

And while Horgan's injury prompted Declan Kidney to summon flanker Tim McGann out to the right wing, Munster's defence allowed them to push on.

Inspired by the lively Boss, Ulster came to the fore just after the hour mark, but nothing came of a flurry of attacks.

Two further O'Gara kicks, the first after Kieran Campbell was penalised and then yellow-carded for blocking Kelly when he was chasing a kick through, handed Munster a morale-boosting win.