Ulster pummel Munster in Belfast
MATCH REPORT: Ulster produced a strong second-half performance to sweep aside Munster 28-3 in a one-sided victory that lifts them up to second in the United Rugby Championship.
Tom Stewart, Jake Flannery and Bryn Ward ran in tries after the interval at a sold-out Affidea Stadium to propel them clear after they edged the first period 6-3.
Flannery’s 56th-minute try put the result beyond the reach of Munster, who made 10 changes including resting a number of their Ireland stars and suffered as a result.
Ward, deputising for ankle injury victim Jaurno Augustus, was named man of the match with a blockbuster display at No.8.
It proved to be a successful comeback for Iain Henderson, who returned from a back injury to lead Ulster.
Munster have now lost four of their last six games in all competitions, with their defeat in Belfast seeing them slip from second to fourth place.
The scorers:
For Ulster:
Tries: Stewart, Flannery, B Ward
Cons: Doak 2
Pens: Doak 3
For Munster:
Pen: Hanrahan
Teams:
Ulster: 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Werner Kok, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Bryn Ward, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Cormac Izuchukwu, 5 Joe Hopes, 4 Iain Henderson (captain), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Tom Stewart, 1 Angus Bell.
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 David McCann, 21 Conor McKee, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 Jude Postlethwaite.
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Dan Kelly, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Paddy Patterson, 8 Alex Kendellen, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 Diarmuid Barron (captain), 1 Josh Wycherley.
Replacements: 16 Lee Barron, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 Conor Bartley, 19 Jack O’Donoghue, 20 Brian Gleeson, 21 Ethan Coughlan, 22 Tony Butler, 23 Seán O’Brien.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland), Sam Holt (Ireland)
TMO: Dave Sutherland (Scotland)
