Connacht got out of the blocks with a hard fought 20-11 victory over Munster in front of a boisterous home crowd in the Sportsground on Friday night.
This was Connacht’s first home game of the new URC season playing on the new 4G pitch, and with it came a dominant and physical Connacht pack.
From the off they turned over Munster in the maul and followed it up winning a penalty in the scrum, much to the delight of the Connacht supporters.
A second Connacht penalty in the scrum saw Jack Carty kick down the line into the Munster five metre line. From the line out, David Hawkshaw drove Connacht forward with Shamus Hurley-Langton, earning a penalty advantage.
Carty opted for a long pass to Hansen on the wing, who got over the try line for the first score of the evening.
Carty’s conversion hit off the new goal posts to leave the score 5-0 after eight minutes.Connacht continued to pile the pressure on Munster and earned their fourth penalty in 15 minutes in a kickable position, but for the second time, Carty’s kick came off the goal post.
The water break came at the right time for Munster as straight after they won a scrum penalty and from Ben Healy's kick the ball down the line, Munster got a maul rolling. Although Connacht eventually halted their march, quick recycling from Munster eventually led to penalty advantage, giving them the option to pass out to the wing to Patrick Campbell who flew over the line in the corner for his first try.
Healy missed the conversion leaving the score 5-5 after 24 minutes, but just before the break Munster won a kickable penalty, which Healy slotted over for a 5-8 lead at half-time. He added another after the break, but it would be Munster’s last score of the game.
Connacht were slow to get back to the pace of the first half, but a brilliant 50:20 kick from Fitzgerald in the 52nd minute gave Connacht the lift that they were looking for and got the crowd back into the game.
From the line out, Connacht’s maul ran to the try line and player of the match Finlay Bealham got over the line to get the home side's second try of the night. Carty missed the conversion leaving the score 10-11 after 53 minutes.
Connacht continued to build into the second half with the substitutes adding great energy, and after winning a penalty in the 61st minute, Carty handing Fitzgerald kicking duties and he converted the penalty to leave them 13 -11 in front.Connacht dominated the last 20 minutes with Carty managing the game well.
Boyle got over for their third try of the evening in the 78th minute with Fitzgerald’s conversion leaving the score 20-11 ensuring Munster got no points from the game.Connacht brought great fight and physicality to the game that has been missing in the opening three games which pleased Director of Rugby Andy Friend.
“I thought our forward pack laid a really good platform for us. And I thought for the majority of the game we dominated the physicality…that is what we said coming into the game the team that was going to be the most physical, the most disciplined and have the least amount of unforced errors and I think on 2 of those fronts it was us.”
Connacht: C Fitzgerald, J Porch, B Ralston, D Hawkshaw, M Hansen, J Carty (C ), K Marmion, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, G Thornbury, O Dowling, S Hurley-Langton, C Oliver, J Butler
Replacements: G Stewart, P Dooley (Buckley 47m ), J Aungier (Bealham 58m ), N Murray (Dowling 62m ), J Murphy(Hurley-Langton 50m ), C Reilly (Marmion 58m ), T Daly, P Boyle (Butler 54m )
Munster: J Carbery, C Phillips, M Fekitoa, D Goggin, P Campbell, B Healy, C Murray, D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, K Knox, J Kleyn, T Beirne, J O’Donoghue, P O’Mahony (C ), G CoombesReplacements: S Buckley (Scannell 74m ), J Loughman(Kilcoyne 40m ), S Archer (Knox 50m ), E Edogbo (Kleyn50m ), J O’Sullivan (O’Mahony 72m ), C Casey (Murray 58m ), R Scannell (Goggin 72m ), F Gibbons (Healy 67m )Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU )
