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Seven-try Munster put Connacht to the sword

Updated / Saturday, 11 May 2024 19:40
Munster celebrate a try against Connacht
Munster celebrate a try against Connacht

Munster ran in seven tries to boost their BKT URC standing, while Connacht's play-off hopes suffered a setback.

Graham Rowntree's side were the better side in a sunny Limerick but poor execution kept the visitors in the game for longer than they should have been.

Tries from RG Snyman and Calvin Nash had the hosts 14-7 up at the break with Byron Ralston's score keeping Connacht in touch.

But Munster, up to second in the table ahead of Leinster's evening kick-off against Ospreys, hit Pete Wilkins' side for five further ties in the second half as man of the match Alex Nankivell, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Tom Ahern and Shane Daly all touched down.

The result puts huge pressure on Connacht's hopes of a top-eight finish. They slip to ninth after Stormers, Ulster, Edinburgh and Benetton all picked up wins in round 16. Connacht host the Stormers next weekend before finishing their season away to Leinster.

Munster go to Edinburgh and host Ulster in their remaining fixtures.

It was a first half that slowly came to life and save for a brief flash of hands by the Connacht backs that came to nothing when Ralston overran a pass, was almost completely dominated by the home side.

Munster, on the front foot thanks to big carries from Jack O'Donoghue and Alex Kendellen in the main, practically camped inside the Connacht 22 for the first 30 minutes.

But a combination of last-gasp defence and poor execution meant the home support had to wait until 25 minutes in before they had something to cheer.

Before that, with slow scrums contributing to a muted atmosphere among the 20,183 in attendance, Snyman knocked on close to the line after Jack Crowley had faked a kick to touch from a penalty, and Kendellen came off second best in a one-on-one with Carty, the lively flanker being bullied into touch by the out-half.

But the pressure was beginning to tell and Shamus Hurley-Langton saw yellow after a cynical slap down close to the line.

Even the try, when it eventually came, felt unconvincing.

Snyman stretched out a paw and Finlay Bealham made a decent claim that he knocked the ball out of the giant South African's grasp.

"I'm not sure," mouthed the lock but the officials were satisfied with the grounding after a couple of replays and Crowley added the extras.

The second score came moments later when Caolan Blade, just on for the injured Matthew Devine knocked on at a lineout and Munster struck off the scrum in midfield.

It was too easy with Nash coming off his wing to take Crowley's soft pass before outpacing Tom Farrell and arrowing to the corner.

Again, there was a question over the grounding with the Ireland international's finishing technique poor but despite Connacht protestations, it stood and Crowley nailed the touchline conversion attempt.

But it was the visitors who had the last say of the half. The sides swapped the ball like a hot potato before Connacht earned a scrum penalty under the posts.

It was a gimme three-pointer but the call came to scrum again and Carty came on to the ball at an angle before spinning it wide to Ralston, who was unmarked, for a simple run-in. The Ireland out-half converted.

For almost two-thirds possession and territory, Munster led by just seven at the break.

The Westerners almost levelled up shortly after the restart with Farrell slicing through the Munster centre but Carty got turned over close to the line and the chance was gone and they were made to pay moments later.

Aki lost the ball forward and Nankivell spotted the space in the backfield and ran in from 60 yards; Crowley added the extras to restore the 14-point buffer.

Ireland centre Aki was beginning to see more of the ball but too often the support just wasn't there and Blade was clearly playing through the pain with a rib injury.

Hurley-Langton was denied a try in the corner by Nankivell before Munster grabbed a fourth, the best of the day.

Nankivell switched with Simon Zebo, who slalomed past a couple of mismatched defenders before popping to Murray on the inside. The Ireland half-back had a simple run-in from the 22 and replacement Carbery converted.

Connacht hit back immediately as they chased a bonus point of their own.

Again, a simple long pass from Carty floated over the head of Zebo and into the arms of Ralston, who ran in unhindered.

Shane Jennings and Jarrad Butler combined to make 70 yards but Zebo hauled down the replacement back row just in time.

That was their last chance to come away from a ground they had won in once since 2015 with something.

Carbery took a pop pass from Antoine Frisch to dash over under the posts moments later and then Ahern picked up a loose lineout ball before bashing past Farrell on his way to the corner.

The hosts weren't finished there, however, and Daly ran a lovely line to get on the end of Tadhg Beirne's pop to score under the posts making Carbery's kick a formality.

Munster: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash, Alex Nankivell, Seán O'Brien, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; RG Snyman, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O'Mahony, Alex Kendellen, Jack O'Donoghue.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Mark Donnelly, Oli Jager, Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Antoine Frisch.

Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Shane Jennings, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (capt), Matthew Devine; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Oisín Dowling; Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Niall Murray, Sean Jansen, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Jarrad Butler.

Referee: Andy Brace (IRFU)

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