Despite thoroughly abject conditions, both sides managed to serve up an entertaining game, with two Dan Park penalties putting the home side in front before Munster milled the Connacht scrum to win the penalty try.

Then from the restart, Connacht were again penalised and from half way Keatley thumped over a huge penalty for that 7 point interval lead and he added another penalty early in the second half that was to prove decisive.

Connacht: R Henshaw; T O'Hall botoran, D Poolman, D McSharry, F Vainikolo; D Parks, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, J Harris-Wright, N White (capt); G Naoupu, M McCarthy; A Browne, J O'Connor, E McKeon. Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, R Loughney, M Swift, E Grace, P O'Donohue, M Jarvis, E Griffin.

Munster: D Hurley; J Murphy, C Laulala, J Downey, L O'Dea; I Keatley, P Stringer; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, S Archer; D O'Callaghan, B Holland; P Butler, T O'Donnell, J Coughlan (capt). Replacements: S Henry, W du Preez, BJ Botha, D Foley, S Dougall, D Williams, JJ Hanrahan, D Barnes.

Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU)