{"id":24746,"date":"2022-01-08T17:31:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-08T22:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24746"},"modified":"2022-01-10T09:34:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T14:34:18","slug":"beirne-the-difference-as-14-man-munster-overhaul-ulster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24746","title":{"rendered":"Beirne The Difference As 14-Man Munster Overhaul Ulster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Ulster’s Craig Gilroy is tackled by Tadhg Beirne and Fineen Wycherley of Munster (INPHO\/Billy Stickland)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A gritty backs-to-the-wall effort saw Munster overcome\u00a0Simon Zebo’s\u00a0early sending-off to defeat Ulster 18-13 in the United Rugby Championship at Thomond Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zebo was red carded for a high tackle in the 15th minute and Ulster, with\u00a0Rob Herring\u00a0having earlier touched down, sensed a first victory in Limerick since\u00a0May 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two\u00a0Nathan Doak\u00a0penalties, in response to a couple of\u00a0Jack Crowley\u00a0three-pointers, had the visitors leading 13-6 until Munster rallied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by\u00a0Tadhg Beirne,\u00a0the men in red closed the gap with a\u00a0Mike Haley\u00a0try before replacement\u00a0Alex Kendellen\u00a0scored the match winner with five minutes remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beirne came in late to captain Munster on his 30th birthday, standing in for\u00a0Peter O’Mahony\u00a0who was withdrawn following the warm-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following two recent postponements, Ulster’s eager forwards delivered a seventh-minute maul try for Herring which\u00a0John Cooney\u00a0converted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munster suffered an even bigger blow when Zebo’s shoulder made contact with the face of Ulster full-back Michael Lowry.<\/strong> TMO Brian MacNeice’s input led to referee Mike Adamson reaching for his red card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong carries from\u00a0John Hodnett\u00a0and\u00a0Thomas Ahern\u00a0sparked a furious Munster spell near the Ulster line. Crowley popped over a penalty and added a second one after\u00a0<\/strong>Sam Carter\u00a0was slow to roll away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Doak, who replaced the injured Cooney, made it 10-6 just before half-time and Ulster exerted maul pressure again on the resumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahern thwarted\u00a0Dan McFarland’s\u00a0men with two impressive lineout steals, before a big\u00a0Tom O’Toole-led scrum set up a long-range penalty from Doak for 13-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbers were evened up when Ulster replacement\u00a0Kieran Treadwell\u00a0was sin-binned for a tip tackle on\u00a0Shane Daly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munster immediately took advantage,\u00a0Craig Casey’s\u00a0superb long pass from a ruck putting Haley over out wide, despite Lowry’s despairing tackle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowley hit the post with the difficult conversion from the right, leaving the scoreboard showing 13-11, and Doak was short with a monster penalty attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Munster showed the greater hunger, led by the brilliant Beirne whose breakdown smarts were a key factor throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Replacement\u00a0Jack O’Donoghue\u00a0wriggled through into the 22,\u00a0Fineen Wycherley\u00a0was stopped short but the ball popped back for a well-placed Kendellen to score and\u00a0Ben Healy\u00a0converted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herring and Lowry, whose footwork and fielding were excellent, led the way for the Ulstermen, but the postponement of those two festive fixtures, coupled with their Covid-19 disruptions, appeared to catch up with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14-man Munster hung in there and were rewarded for a gutsy all-round performance, with their bench providing a telling impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haley covered acres of ground in defense and showed well in attack too, but for his numerous turnover penalties, leadership and physicality around the field, Beirne earned the URC player-of-the-match medal.<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>