Ulster moved a step closer to securing their place in next season’s Heineken Cup by scoring a three-try win over a largely second string Munster side at Ravenhill on Wednesday night.
The win, Ulster’s fifth in-a-row at Ravenhill in all competitions, saw them gain some revenge for their 42-6 hammering at the hands of Munster last month.
It was also Ulster’s first win over their southern rivals in four meetings and has them now heavily favoured to gain the final Irish qualifying spot in next season’s Heineken Cup.
Ulster made six changes to the side that lost to the Cardiff Blues last time out, with hooker and captain Rory Best back from injury and half-backs Paddy Wallace and Isaac Boss also returning.
Predictably, Munster omitted all of their starting players from last Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final win over Saracens.
They still started this Belfast clash with ten full internationals in their side, including number 8 Anthony Foley who became the first player to make 200 appearances for Munster.
But with their resources stretched and a stomach bug sidelining replacement winger Keith Earls prior to kick-off, Munster’s video analyst Jason Holland was forced to come out of retirement and join the province’s bench.
Holland, who last played for Munster in April 2005, has been coaching AIB League club Midleton this season but with both Barry Murphy and Niall Ronan shipping injuries, ‘Dutchy’ came on for the closing quarter-hour.
Munster showed some early intent but they were turned over twice in the opening five minutes, with wily Ulster flanker Kieron Dawson prominent at the breakdown.
Best’s first lineout throw was tapped down by Munster lock Mick O’Driscoll and that was feature throughout the 80 minutes as the visitors disrupted Ulster’s lineout and both Best and his replacement Nigel Brady struggled to find their jumpers.
Munster were dealt a cruel blow in the seventh-minute when Barry Murphy, who has been dogged by injuries in recent seasons, sustained a thumb injury and had to be replaced by Jeremy Manning.
Manning came straight in at out-half with Paul Warwick, the goal-kicking hero against the Ospreys, moving to outside centre.
Three minutes later, Ulster were toasting their first try. Both Andrew Trimble and Best had decent carries in midfield before Isaac Boss moved the ball out to the left where Rob Dewey lurked.
The big Scottish centre managed to barge past both Peter Stringer and Warwick and make the line for his first try for the province.
Paddy Wallace tagged on the conversion but Ulster immediately conceded a penalty as Matt McCullough took out Munster flanker Ronan as he chased the restart kick. Warwick duly planted the penalty through the posts for 7-3.
Ulster got back within striking distance some minutes later but Best failed to find his man at a close-in lineout, with O’Driscoll again competing well.
Gaps were beginning to appear in both defences. Stephen Ferris went on a half break but had he passed to his left, Ulster had a clear overlap.
In the 23rd-minute, Munster captain for the night Foley showed off his footballing skills as he dinked a perfectly weighted kick forward for Anthony Horgan to run onto on the left wing.
The winger snapped up the bouncing ball, set up ruck position in the Ulster 22 but a lack of control led to a knock on from O’Driscoll.
Ulster got themselves out of their half soon after as Bryn Cunningham did well to mark and launch a fine kick downfield after Manning had probed with a cross-field chip.
The home side almost snuck through for a second try but Tommy Bowe was called back after the ball had bounced forward off Trimble’s right hand.
Ulster were best on the counter attack but from set piece ball, they were continuing to struggle with O’Driscoll again picking off a Best throw.
Warwick pushed a 31st-minute penalty attempt to the right of the Ulster posts but it was on the limit of his range.
A scrappy period coming up to half-time saw plenty of knock ons and loose play, before Ulster conjured up their second try.
As Matt Williams’ men pressed, it seemed that a thumping hit by Warwick on his opposite number Wallace had halted the hosts’ progress.
However, a snappy pass from Boss to Ryan Caldwell, to the right of the posts, saw the big lock bound over for a try past two tacklers.
Wallace made it a seven-pointer and Ulster managed to hold onto their 14-3 lead for the break, despite a late chip and chase from Horgan who would have touched down but for the covering Cunningham.
Into the second half, Ulster continued to make life hard for themselves with their faltering lineout and try scorer Caldwell was sin-binned for stamping, five minutes after the resumption.
Their coach Williams spoke afterwards of his players being ‘hugely unprofessional at times’ and they did give Munster an avenue back into the game with a number of penalties.
One such infringement from Carlo Del Fava led to an intense bout of Munster pressure near the hosts’ line. Yet Ulster somehow came up with a reliving turnover, with Dawson again at the root of it, and they survived.
Ulster gained some decent territory, approaching the hour mark, with Dewey putting in a shuddering hit on Ronan.
Wallace booted a subsequent penalty to touch and that decision paid off as, in the 62nd-minute, Trimble sliced through for his second try of the league campaign.
Ulster moved the ball in from the right and with Munster exposed – Ronan had to move into the centre with Horgan forced off with an injury – a lovely cut-out pass from Wallace put Trimble charging over to the left of the posts.
Wallace was off target with his conversion attempt and Ulster’s push for a bonus point try never really came despite some lively performances from Tom Court, McCullough and Dewey.
Replacement prop Justin Fitzpatrick was pinged for a binding offence at a 65th-minute scrum, which allowed Warwick to double his and Munster’s tally.
A thumb injury then ended Ronan’s night, bringing the 35-year-old Holland into the fray.
Incredibly, Munster had both their video analyst Holland and team manager Shaun Payne, who started the game, on the pitch for the closing minutes.
Hands in the ruck from Ulster led to Warwick knocking over a straightforward 71st-minute penalty but the deficit remained at 10 points as Munster’s slim title hopes faded.
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