FT: Munster 41 Ulster 14
And here’s Munster captain Tadhg Beirne:
That’s all from me for today, thanks for following along.
John O’Sullivan’s report will be with us shortly, and we’ll also have a report from Leinster’s trip to Benetton, which got under way at 7.45pm
All the best!
Here’s what man of the match John Hodnett had to say after the win:
Ulster’s strong start wasn’t enough to hold off Munster, who ultimately claimed the bonus-point win.
John Hodnett ended the game with four tries to his credit, Alex Kendellen with three.
Ulster’s tries came from Aitzol Arenzana-King and John Andrew either side of the break.
John O’Sullivan will have a full match report for us from Thomond Park shortly.
FT: Munster 41 Ulster 14
All over at Thomond Park. A comprehensive win in the end for Clayton McMillan’s side.
FT: Munster 41 Ulster 14
79 MINS: Munster pinged for blocking the scrumhalf at the ruck.
Unsurprisingly, John Hodnett named man of the match.
Munster 41 Ulster 14
78 MINS: Ulster haven’t given up as they look to find a way into Munster’s 22.
Jake Flannery sends a risky pass out to the wing and Shane Daly intercepts.
Munster 41 Ulster 14
74 MINS: No try. Munster’s Lee Barron is done for obstruction in the lead up to the try so it’s chalked off.
Munster 41 Ulster 14
73 MINS: Munster are off again. Ben O’Donovan runs one in on his first Thomond Park cap.
Oh wait, TMO has flagged a potential obstruction.
Munster 41 Ulster 14
69 MINS: TMO initially says Ulster grounded it but the referee asks him to run it back again.
Ulster’s touch isn’t deemed a press, so Kendellen’s secondary touch has the downward momentum to earn the try.
A second Munster player claims a hat-trick of tries as JJ Hanrahan kicks the conversion.
Munster 41 Ulster 14
69 MINS: Maybe another try from Alex Kendellen, trying to keep up with Hodnett.
TMO is checking out the grounding.
Munster 34 Ulster 14
68 MINS: Stunning run up the left wing ends in John Hodnett’s fourth try.
All came from a great break from Dan Kelly.
No conversion from JJ Hanrahan.
Munster 34 Ulster 14
65 MINS: Ulster win the lineout and go to the maul. They get a great initial shove but Munster recover.
Ulster go again and John Andrew gets over.
Flannery adds the conversion.
Munster 29 Ulster 14
64 MINS: Ulster get a nice run of play going off the back of an advantage but a forward pass brings it back for Humphreys to kick to the corner.
The replacement outhalf gets every inch out of it.
Munster 29 Ulster 7
62 MINS: Captain Michael Lowry makes way for Ulster, James Humphreys coming on in his stead. Huge shift from Lowry, was a nuisance for the Munster defence.
Munster 29 Ulster 7
57 MINS: Tadhg Beirne is taken out in the air from the restart but the referee says it’s just a penalty.
Munster send it up the line for the lineout. They go short and Lee Barron finds possession. The hosts don’t roll away at the breakdown so Ulster penalty.
Munster 29 Ulster 7
56 MINS: Munster get their fifth try.
Incredible pass from Craig Casey to Tom Ahern. He feeds Gavin Coombes on the run who passes off to John Hodnett for his third try of the game.
No joy for Hanrahan off the kicking tee. Just hasn’t been his day.
Munster 29 Ulster 7
53 MINS: Munster with a lineout on Ulster’s five-meter line.
They win the lineout and go straight to the maul but make little progress. Munster split from the maul and after two phases Alex Kendellen gets in under the posts for his second try.
Hanrahan slots the extras.
Munster 24 Ulster 7
51 MINS: Ulster lineout is misfiring and Munster gain possession.
Craig Casey pulling the strings for Munster now as the hosts up the ante in search of a bonus-point try.
Munster 17 Ulster 7
47 MINS: Try number three for Munster.
Andrew Smith feeds a lovely pass in off the wing on the run to Tom Ahern. The ball goes to ground but Alex Kendellen is quick to collect and scampers over.
JJ Hanrahan again can’t manage the conversion.
Munster 17 Ulster 7
46 MINS: Craig Casey goes to the air after Munster’s attack goes stagnant. Great take in the air by Aitzol Arenzana-King.
Oli Jager is forced off for a HIA, Michael Ala’alatoa comes in.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
44 MINS: Farrell can’t continue so Alex Kendellen is in.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
43 MINS: Huge tackle from Andrew Smith to force an Ulster knock-on.
Separately, Tom Farrell looks in real bother, seems a wrist injury.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
Almost ready to get back under way for the second half.
Munster’s JJ Hanrahan with the restart.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
HALF-TIME: Ulster made the brighter start but Tom Brigg’s yellow card opened the door for Munster the haul themselves into the game.
The hosts lead at the break.
HT: Munster 12 Ulster 7
39 MINS: Some good play from Ulster nearly sends Tom Brigg through but the pass doesn’t go to hand.
Munster pounce and kick it long to put Ulster’s backline under pressure. There’s too much on the kick though and it’s into touch.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
37 MINS: TMO flags a potential high tackle by Munster’s Shane Daly. Referee deems there was no foul play so on we go.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
35 MINS: Scrum for Ulster and they win the penalty for an early Munster push.
Ulster launch an lightening attack but Andrew Smith puts a brilliant tackle in to stop them in their tracks.
Richie Murphy’s side are returned to the full compliment with the return of Tom Brigg from the bin.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
32 MINS: Ulster bring in Callum Reid in place of Eric O’Sullivan after Calvin Nash’s 100th-cap appearance is cut short, he’s replaced by Dan Kelly.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
30 MINS: John Hodnett bursts through Ulster’s defensive line and lays it off to Gavin Coombes.
Ulster slow the attack under the posts but Craig Casey plays it to Hodnett who’s helped over by Edwin Edogbo and Tom Ahern for his second of the afternoon.
JJ Hanrahan’s conversion is good.
Munster 12 Ulster 7
28 MINS: Great work at the breakdown from Tadhg Beirne to turn it over.
Munster starting to put the phases together but they’re showing some sloppiness in the passing. Nonetheless they’re building some momentum now.
Munster 5 Ulster 7
24 MINS: Try for Munster. John Hodnett finds a way over after peeling off the back of a lineout maul.
JJ Hanrahan doesn’t make the conversion to leave Ulster still ahead.
Munster 5 Ulster 7
23 MINS: Ulster knock-on into touch for a Munster scrum.
Craig Casey feeds the scrum and they earn the penalty. Now they’re finding a way forward.
Ulster’s Tom Brigg is shown a yellow card for an intentional knock-on.
Munster 0 Ulster 7
20 MINS: Michael Lowry causing Munster considerable pain in attack. Ulster almost find a gap but they go off their feet in the breakdown and Munster have the penalty.
Munster struggling to put anything together with Ulster dominating the possession.
Munster 0 Ulster 7
18 MINS: Munster win a penalty with a strong counter ruck. But the positivity doesn’t last long. Ulster repay the favour with their own turnover.
Jonny Scott in for Ben Carson for Ulster, while Jean Kleyn has failed his HIA so Edogbo will remain in play
Munster 0 Ulster 7
13 MINS: Ulster attack with pace and Michael Lowry finds Aitzol Arenzana-King to touch down in the corner.
The referee checks the grounding and it’s all good.
Jake Flannery slots the extras.
Munster 0 Ulster 7
12 MINS: Ulster claim the ball from a lineout on Munster’s five-meter line.
They drive over from the maul but Munster hold them up.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
11 MINS: Munsster captain Tadhg Beirne isn’t happy, claiming Ulster are coming in from the side.
Ulster’s Eric O’Sullivan looks to be in a bit of bother, down getting a bit of treatment but he’s okay to play on.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
10 MINS: Ulster win a lineout and put Munster’s defence to the test again.
They go through the phases and get advantage for an accidental knock-on from Calvin Nash. Nothing coming from it so it goes back for the scrum.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
7 MINS: Tadhg Beirne knocks on for the first scrum of the game.
Ulster have the put in but it doesn’t come to that, Oli Jager is penalised and Ulster win the penalty.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
4 MINS: Andrew Smith gets a block down on a clearance kick by Ulster and the cavalry arrive to put the visitors under pressure attempting to get out of their own 22.
Referee Sam Grove-White awards a penalty to Ulster, but it’s great work from Munster.
Edwin Edogbo comes in for Jean Kleyn who took a heavy knock in an earlier play. Off for a HIA.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
2 MINS: Ulster go through the hands and find a gap through James McKillop. He’s brought down just short of the line by JJ Hanrahan and Shane Daly.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
0 MINS: Jake Flannery gets us under way at Thomond Park.
Munster 0 Ulster 0
Late change for Munster: Jack Crowley out, JJ Hanrahan starts at outhalf for the hosts.
Crowley didn’t come through the warm-up.
Ten minutes to kick-off at Thomond Park.
“Viewed from the outside, and no doubt by some on the inside too, the latest bout of off-field upheavals at Munster might be considered a crisis,” Gerry Thornley writes of a trying few weeks for the southern province. “But, of course, this has almost become the new normal at Munster over the last few months.”
Read Gerry’s analysis in full below:
All four provinces are in action today.
In Johannesburg, Connacht have been beaten 33-21 by the Lions.
Leinster are away to Benetton from 7.45pm Irish time.
It had all been going so well for Ulster, but as we’ve reached the business end of the season the province look at risk of falling asunder because of injuries.
In the latest episode of The Counter Ruck podcast, Nathan Johns chats to John O’Sullivan about the injury woes facing Richie Murphy.
Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts:
Could injuries derail Ulster’s stellar season?
“The only show in town this weekend is Munster hosting Ulster at Thomond Park,” Conor Murray writes in his latest column. But then again, the former Munster scrumhalf would say that, wouldn’t he?
However, he does offer some context to back up his assertion: “Neither province is in the Champions Cup. Ulster could go one better than Munster by beating Exeter in the Challenge Cup semi-final, but the picture of the entire season can be altered by Saturday’s result.”
Zac Ward celebrates scoring a try with Stuart McCloskey during Ulster’s Challenge Cup quarter-final win over La Rochelle. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Acknowledging that while Munster are “having a difficult year” and Ulster are making strong progress, “late Saturday evening is what really matters”.
“There are just four points separating the Lions in fourth and Connacht in ninth. The URC run-in can turn a poor campaign into a good one – and vice versa.”
Read Murray’s column in full below:
[ Conor Murray: Win over Ulster can help Munster redefine their troubled seasonOpens in new window ]
“Perhaps only the Texians at the Alamo faced longer odds against the overwhelmingly superior resources of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna than Ulster do in Limerick,” writes John O’Sullivan, previewing the game. “And we know how James Bowie and his buddies fared back in 1836.”
Ulster are without a spate of starters due in part to “ridiculously long injury list“, while Richie Murphy may also be erring on the side of caution ahead of next weekend’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Exeter.
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy. Photograph: Grace Halton/Inpho
“Murphy’s side are 28-point underdogs with a line-up that shows 15 changes from the run-on team that lost to Leinster in Belfast last weekend,” John writes, while “Munster, in contrast, show just one change from the team that hammered Benetton in Treviso. Oli Jager takes over from Michael Ala’alatoa, who drops to the bench.”
Read John’s preview in full below:
[ Munster hold a powerful upper hand as injury-ravaged Ulster come to LimerickOpens in new window ]
Hello everyone! Welcome along to The Irish Times live blog for today’s United Rugby Championship fixture between Munster and Ulster at Thomond Park.
Kick-off in Limerick is at 5.30pm, but before that we’ll be running through some team news, as well as some comment and analysis from our team of writers.
To get us started, here are the respective teams Clayton McMillan and Richie Murphy have named for this afternoon..
Thomond Park ahead of the game. Photograph: Nick Elliott/Inpho
MUNSTER: Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Michael Ala’alatoa, Edwin Edogbo, Brian Gleeson, Ben O’Donovan, Dan Kelly, Alex Kendellen.
ULSTER: Michael Lowry; Aitzol Arenzana-King, Ethan McIlroy, Ben Carson, Ben Moxham; Jake Flannery, Conor McKee; Eric O’Sullivan, James McCormick, Bryan O’Connor; Harry Sheridan, Charlie Irvine; James McKillop, Tom Brigg, Lorcan McLoughlin. Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Reid, Tom McAllister, Joe Hopes, Marcus Rea, Dave Shanahan, James Humphreys, Jonny Scott.