Hats off to the Ulstermen

It may just have been by the skin of their teeth but that does not matter a hapenth as Ulster ran out winners in the top of the table Celtic League clash at Musgrave Park this evening. It may as well have been a mile, as the score will read for evermore of an Ulster win and the proud Munster record of 18 home wins in all competitions washed down into the sea at Kinsale. Fair play to Munster who rued going for tries instead of kicking their penalties earlier on, whereas Ulster having been bitten by the Ospreys, kicked at goal at every opportunity.

Alain Rolland played a huge part in the game. Remember his last season at Donnybrook when he whistled Ulster off the park. This time he had a fairly good game, which was ruined by 3 decisions that could have cost Ulster dearly. He binned Justin Harrison for dumping Ronan O’Gara on his side in what was deemed a dangerous tackle after the whistle was blown. Apart from getting his hair tossed, O’Gara was never in any danger of serious injury as he was firmly put on his side. Then the highly charged and inspirational O’Callaghan milled in to Harrison like a savaged warrior but missed thankfully. If Harrison walked so should O’Callaghan; simple!. Secondly, Humphries was taken out in the middle of the second by Haslett, long after the ball had left him and Ulster got only the lineout, then finally at the very end he abdicated his responsibilities yet again when Flannery shouldered a prostrate Humphries in the midriff leaving him down and out after diving head long from the wrong side into a ruck. The penalty was awarded and Rolland blew the whistle allowing Flannery to walk off scott free.

Trimble try ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

For 20 minutes of the game Ulster played a man down after Harrison was binned and Boss arrived on the scene only to depart after his first touch leaving the Ulstermen with 13 men for a few nerve racking minutes. The line held that 20 miutes before a blitz of two tries after some outstanding Munster forward and back play resulted in converted tries by Flannery and Wallace. But that was only the half of it. Ulster in the first dominated with Trimble and Bowe scoring 2 converted tries to rush the Ulster men into an early 17 point lead with the score being at half time Munster 3, Ulster 20; and Humphries had missed a kick close in just to the right of the posts before kicking one from inside his own half.

The very exciting Trimble yet again showing the world why he is the best thing since sliced bread scoring the first try and in the second Rory Best showed why he is the best hooker in Ireland since Keith Wood. He straightened the line at the same time holding off an attacker before passing the ball to Bowe who raced under the posts for a converted score. Horgan was left on the touchline scratching his head trying to work out what had happened!!

Donncha O'Callaghan and Matt McCullough ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

Rolland seemed to speak to Simon Best regularly while leaving Munster to their own devices, but this is not the side that got so comprehensively intimidated a few years back in the Celtic Cup semi finals when Justin Fitzpatrick was sent off. The courage and commitment shown by Ulster throughout was one of the finest ever shown by an Ulster team anywhere or at anytime.

This game was about more than bragging rights, it was a scene played out on a stage of a fiery succession with the old regime being thrown out in a bloody coup and being replaced by the new kids on the block. There was no love lost between the teams as subplots were played out endlessly between the various competing characters for the rights to wear the green shirt of Ireland and in the main the Ulstermen came out on top. Gerry Flannery gifted Ulster numerous line outs with his wayward throws while Rory Best bar one or two was as accurate as you could hope for and his all round play bristled with an aggression and an ability to be in the right place to bear-hug the ball and rescue his team. The much-vaunted Manning was substituted for not being able to catch a high ball and was replaced by an impressive Mossy Lawlor who made a big difference to the Munster attack. However, despite some of these big names and the chequebook Connolly, the Ulster boys held on sometimes by the tips of their nails.

Steiner tackling RO'G ©INPHO

Mind you, they did make it more difficult for themselves in the second half than they should have. After having weathered the storm with a man or two off the field it was with 15 that they were vulnerable. Munster in fairness had the initiative and Ulster defensively were incredible but it was the giving away of possession very easily that almost became their undoing in the last 20 minutes of this match. Rory Best missed his man in the lineout unusually while David Humphries missed crucial touches on occasions when a breather was a necessity. Thus gifting possession to Munster who were determined to score either through their formidable pack in which O’Driscoll was outstanding or by stretching it wide to the wings with O’Gara pulling the strings creating the necessary space into which his strike runners exploded. Just as in various glorious days at Thomond Park Munster just kept coming and coming and coming. Tommy Bowe, the man of the match tackled and ushered Munster players where he wanted, ingeniously slowing down the attack allowing his cover defence time to recover.

This was a performance that Ulster can rightly be proud o,f going to Munster and winning is no mean feat. There is a concern about Boss being too impetuous being sent off early for handling in the ruck and then another penalty for slowing ruck ball down after Rolland warned him the ruck had been formed. Concern also that Kiernan Campbell is not seriously injured. The rugby was good from both sides. It was abrasive, it was bruising with no quarter asked or granted by either side. It was a battle of 2 cousins knocking the living daylights out of each other. However pride at being an Ulsterman is what it is all about in Cork this evening as the boys from the North have shouted out in uncompromising style that the King is dead, long live the King. The pretenders of Irish rugby are maturing and are now a serious force to be reckoned with.

Munster: Manning, Pitout, Connolly, Halstead, Horgan, O'Gara, Stringer, Roche, Flannery, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Driscoll, Leamy, Wallace, Foley.
Replacements: Horan, Fogarty, Hogan, S. Keogh, O'Leary, B. Murphy, Lawlor.

Ulster: Cunningham, Bowe, Trimble, Maggs, Steinmetz, Humphreys, Campbell, B. Young, R. Best, S. Best, Harrison, McCullough, McMillan, N. Best, Wilson.
Replacements: Moore, Brady, Caldwell, Ferris, Boss, Larkin, Topping.

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland)

Your comments
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	Brehon		An exciting and tense second half where Ulster showed patience and composure. Beeb comments were very laudatory - what an historic weekend, might have been a twinkling assist from G. Best during his own send-off! Another splendid take on the passion of the game Colin. Brehon