{"id":24647,"date":"2022-01-01T15:22:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-01T20:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24647"},"modified":"2022-01-02T09:36:21","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T14:36:21","slug":"connacht-win-bruising-new-years-day-battle-with-munster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24647","title":{"rendered":"Connacht Win Bruising New Year’s Day Battle With Munster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Connacht’s Kieran Marmion makes a break before being stopped just short of the try line (INPHO\/Dan Sheridan)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bundee Aki’s\u00a0first try of the season saw Connacht win an ill-tempered United Rugby Championship contest as they edged out Munster 10-8 at the Sportsground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrew Conway’s\u00a0opportunist 22nd-minute score had Munster 8-3 ahead at half-time, with Connacht’s\u00a0Oisin Dowling\u00a0sin-binned late on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Munster’s first URC outing since October and some jostling at the break saw referee Chris Busby show yellow cards to\u00a0Shane Delahunt\u00a0and\u00a0Ben Healy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Farrell’s\u00a0yellow for a dangerous 56th-minute tackle on Connacht replacement\u00a0Tom Farrell\u00a0saw Munster come up further pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connacht put together their best attack to drive Aki over on the hour mark, with replacement\u00a0Conor Fitzgerald’s\u00a0crucial conversion earning them only their second win in ten games against Munster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Friend’s\u00a0men ruined a promising early maul with obstruction, yet a sharp break by\u00a0Kieran Marmion\u00a0preceded an opening 14th-minute penalty from captain\u00a0Jack Carty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munster out-half Healy quickly replied with a levelling three-pointer, punishing a block by\u00a0Ultan Dillane.<\/strong>\u00a0The hosts then conceded a try out of nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mack Hansen\u00a0had a clearance kick charged down by Healy,\u00a0Shane Daly\u00a0got his toe to the loose ball and Conway dotted down unchallenged in the left corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Healy missed the difficult conversion, Munster’s well-balanced back row – including\u00a0Alex Kendellen\u00a0on his first start – continued to make inroads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, Hansen did well to scramble back and deny Conway before Munster’s pack emerged scoreless from a number of late tap penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The niggly exchanges continued on the way to the dressing rooms, some pushing and shoving landing both Healy and Connacht hooker Delahunt in the bin at the start of the second half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Carty off injured, replacement Fitzgerald’s superb hands had the Connacht attack humming before he missed a penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Haley<\/strong>\u00a0then had to react sharply to thwart Marmion’s brilliant solo break, after the Connacht scrum half had intercepted just a few meters out from his own line<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following a missed penalty from Healy, Munster were down to 14 men again when Farrell made ‘head-to-head’ contact with his namesake, the Connacht number 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With mitigation, referee Busby produced his yellow card but Munster were soon behind their posts, a cracking maul sending Aki over and Fitzgerald converted from the right in terrific fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just when Connacht were feeling aggrieved that Farrell had avoided a sending-off, Aki joined the subsequent maul to power over for a vital try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munster’s lineout drive had carried more threat up to that point, but the home side surged through for the Ireland center to score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munster tightened up their defense, twice turning over Aki with the latter one from another maul. However, Connacht dominated possession during the closing stages and deservedly finished on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damian de Allende, <\/strong>Fineen Wycherley\u00a0and\u00a0Gavin Coombes\u00a0stood out for the men in red, each maintaining a high work-rate on a defense-dominated night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\u00a0Cian Prendergast,<\/strong>\u00a0Connacht’s ever-impressive young blindside, was the URC player-of-the-match for another dynamic display up front. Closely followed by\u00a0Conor Oliver,<\/strong>\u00a0the former Munster man.<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>