The inaugural match of the URC kicked off with a spectacular victory for Munster, edging out Connacht with a scoreline of 35-33. The debut match at Thomond Park was far from the traditionally disorganised start to the season, with both teams exhibiting a compelling display of drive, talent, and determination in this highly charged interpro derby.
Despite new players on the field and fresh team dynamics, both sides showed more alignment in offence than defence. The teams evenly exchanged five tries each in a frenzied and dynamic game that saw the lead shift five times. Connacht made an impressive beginning by racing to a well-deserved 12-0 lead, however Munster consistently rallied in response to the relentless assault from their opposition, spurred on by the home support.
The game was eventually decided by a missed conversion at kick-off and the precision of Tony Butler’s final conversion in place of Billy Burns, due to a suspected shoulder injury. Connacht, despite their supreme physicality and more intense pre-season training, will likely view this as a lost chance for a scarce triumph at Thomond Park. However, with earning two points being somewhat of a silver lining, they are showing promise of being a more formidable team for this season.
The excitement in the game ignited at the 14th minute mark when John Hodnett couldn’t secure a challenging pass from Alex Nankivell. Subsequently, from the quick scrum, Ben Murphy swiftly outpaced Munster’s backrow and maneuvered past Craig Casey to pass wide to Shayne Bolton. Bolton then offloaded inside to Josh Ioane, who scored in the corner. Unfortunately, Ioane’s missed conversion kick from the sideline turned out to be the only missed conversion of the match.
Connacht showcased their superior line speed in the game. They achieved a penalty via Darragh Murray’s skill in the jackal, which was kicked into the corner. Cathal Forde managed to take it forward, which led to Mack Hansen leaving his wing to unite with Ioane, taking Cian Prendergast’s pullback in stride.
A tackle from Thaakir Abrahams brought Hansen’s offload to the ground, initially deemed a forward by referee Chris Busby. However, before this decision, Ben Murphy brilliantly managed to scoop up the ball and manoeuvre it around the posts. Upon reviewing, the try was rightly granted. Sitting at a 12-0 lead, Connacht’s performance was resonating.
Following a rigorous pursuit of Mike Haley, Josh Murphy made an extraordinary tackle on Gavin Coombes. However, this success didn’t deter Munster, who regained momentum with Tom Farrell’s inside pass freeing Nankivell just before Casey was blocked by Piers O’Conor at the brink of the half. With astute assistance from Haley and Farrell, Ruadhán Quinn sent Casey back onto the field.
Santiago Cordero halted Casey’s advance and a second attempt to pick resulted in a fumble close to the line. Reviewing the play resulted in Cordero’s yellow card for a high hit, although some leniency was given to Casey‘s last-minute step and the fullback’s backwards lean. Making the most of Cordero’s absence, Munster capitalised on the extra room.
Nankivell strategically ducked Conor Oliver’s strike, opening up a massive gap allowing him to casually stroll over. Munster found its rhythm. Farrell engaged in a 40-metre sprint before being taken down near the line, and Fineen Wycherley was narrowly kept from crossing the line. A subsequent gruesome attack saw Haley taking advantage of Hodnett’s scoop off the field, dodging Bolton’s tackle, and slipping past Hansen to score. Unfortunately, this resulted in Bolton’s injury, demanding his replacement.
Munster pulled ahead, though an error from Farrell presented Connacht with a chance for redemption. Despite dodging a penalty for knocking down Hansen’s offload to David Hawkshaw, Nankivell was lucky to be on the pitch.
Connacht delivered a striking performance before the half-time whistle, with Hansen benefitting from Casey’s box kick, bolstered by powerful play from Oliver and Prendergast, before Ioane spotted an opportunity. A smart decision by Ben Murphy to pass to Ioane, who drew away the focus of the opponents, led to Ioane passing the ball back to Murphy to land a try. This took their lead to 19-14 during the break.
Upon resumption of the game, Munster found success in their strength-based strategy. A well-executed catch-and-drive play set up Hodnett for a try off a pass from John Ryan. As the match continued and replacements started coming into play, Connacht found an energy boost from their substitutes, most notably Sean Jansen. A missed penalty from Ioane took a fortunate turn when Hansen superbly recovered the ball. Following an attempt by Oisín Dowling that was thwarted by Coombes and Burns, Jansen gave a goal-line restart. Ioane, Forde, and Dave Heffernan showcased skillful handling, setting Hawkshaw up for an impressive try. Unfortunately, Burns had to be switched out for Butler due to a shoulder injury.
As the thrilling match progressed, it seemed to fall into a back-and-forth rhythm, with Jack O’Donoghue making a significant impact with a strong charge off Casey’s pass, setting up Coombes for another tally. Connacht, never faltering, returned yet again with Forde executing a powerful five-metre scrum, breaking through the tackles of Butler and Abrahams for a commendable try. Though, Munster, backed by the energy of their home supporters, kept up their momentum. A signature powerful carry by Hodnett set Haley and Nankivill up to pass the ball to Daly for another try on the outside. Butler managed the difficult but important conversion.
When Connacht’s final chance evaporated following a hopeful penalty by Ioane that was skillfully defended by Haley, the subsequent cheer at the final whistle indicated a grudging respect for Connacht. Despite their losses, they earned two bonus points; the minimum acknowledgement of their strong performance. Meanwhile, Munster celebrated their thrilling five-point victory.
In a thrilling 80-minute game, Ioane opened the scoring with a try in the 14th minute, bringing the score 0-5. By the 20th minute, a determined Murphy also managed a successful try and conversion, extending the lead to 0-12. This was soon answered by Nankivell and Burns for the Munster side, closing in with the scoreline reading 7-12. In the 32nd minute, Haley’s excellent try combined with Burns’ accurate conversion rose the Munster tally, taking the lead with 14-12. However, Murphy and Forde together overturned the tide with a try and conversion respectively, taking it to 14-19 at half-time.
In the second half, players such as Hodnet, Hawkshaw, Coombes, Forde and Daly managed to score several tries, maintaining the back and forth contest. As a result, the final score landed at 35-33, narrating the edge-of-the-seat competition.
The Munster squad comprised of Haley, Abrahams, Farrell, Nankivell, Burns, Casey, Loughman, Barron, Ryan, Kleyn, Wycherley, Quinn, Hodnett, and Coombes. Substitutes included O’Brien, Wycherley, Jager, Kendellen, Butler, O’Donoghue, and Scannell with Coughlan remaining unused.
Representing Connacht were Cordero, Hansen, O’Conor, Forde, Bolton, Ioane, Murphy, Buckley, Heffernan, Aungier, Joyce, Murray, Murphy, Oliver, and Prendergast as the captain. The team substituted Hawkshaw, Dooley, Illo, Dowling, Hurley-Langton, Jansen, Blade, and Tierney-Martin during the course of the game.
Chris Busby from IRFU officiated this closely contested match. For an in-depth political discussion and analysis, tune into our Inside Politics podcast.