A first win in four seasons to help celebrate Peter Stringer’s 200th cap and impressive showings from Munster’s young guns made for a very satisfactory trip to Ravenhill for the League leaders
With four minutes to go however, it seemed the game was headed for a draw as Ruan Pienaar lined up what looked for him a sitter. But, as he had done at the end of the first half, the South African missed and from the restart came the try that clinched the deal and denied Ulster a losing bonus.
The result apart, there's little doubt that of the two coaches, Tony McGahan will have been by far the more satisfied with his side's performance. He arrived at a soaking wet Ravenhill with a side containing five Development/Academy players plus one, Ivan Dineen who is on a training contract and several with little or no game time.
Dineen had a huge game capped by his late try and if Niall Ronan deservedly took the Man of the Match accolade, the long list of his contenders included Wian du Preez – quite simply the most impressive South African on view- Ian Nagle, Billy Holland and James Coughlan.
It had rained all day leaving the pitch sodden and as might had been expected Ulster were quick out of the traps, their early pressure yielding three points when Pienaar landed a 7th minute penalty after Nevin Spence's clear break had Munster scrambling in defence.
Warwick leveled just minutes later but Ulster kept the pressure on and once again they launched themselves at the Munster line, Nagle, Coughlan and Holland needing to be brave to deny them in close, Scott Deasy and Denis Hurley putting in the tackles out wide. Ulster's reward just a Pienaar's penalty.
Alan Quinlan retired with a hamstring injury to be replaced by Peter O'Mahony with the only other scoring opportunity of the second quarter falling to Pienaar who fired his effort right and wide.
Warwick tied the game in the 43rd minute and then saw a drop-goal go well wide but in the 70th minute he showed admirable nerve to kick Munster in front.
Pienaar should have leveled but from the restart as Ulster tried to counter, Dineen sprang on Ian Humphreys dislodged, then gathered the ball to race in under the posts.
Munster: S Deasy; D Howlett (capt), J Murphy, I Dineen, D Hurley; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, J Hayes; B Holland, I Nagle; A Quinlan, N Ronan, J Coughlan. Replacements: P O'Mahony for Quinlan (19 mins); S Zebo for Denis Hurley (60 mins); T ODonnell for O'Mahony (71 mins); M Sherry for Varley (74 mins); Darragh Hurley for du Preez (75 mins).
Ulster: A D'Arcy; M McCrea, I Whitten, N Spence, D McIlwaine; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; P McAllister, N Brady, B Young, J Muller (capt), T Barker, P Wannenburg, W Faloon, R Diack. Replacements: D Tuohy for Barker (16-26 mins); L Marshall for McCrea (27 mins); J Cronin for McAllister (52 mins); C Henry for Diack (56 mins); Tuohy for Barker (65 mins).
Referee : Alan Lewis (Ireland).