While it’s still a long way to go in the season, Munster left their detractors with eggs on their faces after a bonus point 24-10 victory over Magners League leaders Ulster in front of a near 17,000 crowd in Thomond Park Stadium.
Afterwards coach Tony McGahan and captain Paul O’Connell acknowledged that their form to date had been up and down but both felt that the performance against Ulster was a result of the hard work being put in by players and management rather than any response to what McGahan termed ‘ill-formed comment by ex-Munster players."
In ideal condidtions Ulster showed intent early on and again in the 16th minute when their response to a Jean de Villiers try moments earlier under their posts was to a similar strike from Ian Humpreys that he then coverted.
The Ulster 10 landed a penalty four minutes later to take the lead for his side but then the superb David Wallace scored his side’s second try and Ronan O’Gara’s conversion gave his side a 14-10 interval lead.
In the second half O’Gara ran a delightful line on the blindside to put Keith Earls in at the corner and although they dominated for long periods it seemed they would be denied the bonus point by dogged and determined Ulster defence.
That was until the very last moments when Munster turned over ball inside their own half, ran it downfield for Paul Warwick – another superb performer on the night along with Tomas O’Leary and Denis Leamy – scoring the fourth try.
Munster: P Warwick; I Dowling, L Mafi, J de Villiers, K Earls; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; J Brugnaut, D Fogarty, S Archer; D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell (capt); A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: D Varley, D Kilcoyne, M O’Driscoll, N Ronan, P Stringer, D Hurley, F Jones.
Ulster: C Schifcofske; T Nagusa, D Cave, P Wallace, A Trimble; I Humphreys, I Boss; T Court, N Brady, B Botha; E O’Donoghue, R Caldwell; S Ferris, W Faloon C Henry. Replacements: A Kyriacou, B Young, T Horua, R Diack, P Marshall, I Whitten, S Danielli.
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)