United Rugby Championship: Munster edge Connacht in Limerick to go eighth

Calvin Nash crossed for Munster's first try

Munster secured a bonus-point 24-17 win over provincial rivals Connacht in the United Rugby Championship in challenging conditions in Limerick.

The sides went in level at the break with Calvin Nash and Roman Salanoa scoring tries for Munster, and Byron Ralston crossing for the visitors.

John Ryan and Niall Scannell notched further tries for the hosts in the second half to secure the bonus point.

A Kieran Marmion try kept Connacht in the game but Munster deserved the win.

The victory moves Graham Rowntree's men up to eighth in the United Rugby Championship table.

Both sides recalled their Ireland internationals following Ireland's November Autumn Series, such was the importance of this game to both teams.

Graham Rowntree's side included four starters heavily involved with Ireland in the last month in Joey Carberry, Peter O'Mahoney, Craig Casey and Tadhg Beirne.

Andy Friend also named six players who were involved with either Ireland or the Ireland 'A' side as Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Gavin Thornbury, Cian Prendergast, Caolin Blade and Bundee Aki all started for the visitors.

Both sides struggled to adapt to the windy conditions in the opening exchanges, leading to an error-strewn first quarter.

Connacht fly-half Carty got his side off the mark with a penalty, but Munster quickly hit back with Casey's sniping blindside run and incisive pass allowing Nash to put his side ahead.

Both sides struggled to maintain possession in a fiery and abrasive inter-provincial derby, with turnovers and handling error making it hard for either side to gain momentum.

Munster full-back Mike Haley struggled to deal with a probing Connacht kick and threw an intercept pass to gift Byron Ralston an easy five points, with Jack Carty doing well to add the extras.

Munster scored the final points of the half after a spell of pressure, with Salanoa burrowing over from the back of a lineout maul to make the scores level at the break.

The game was on a knife-edge going into the second half, however a yellow card for Connacht winger John Porch for a body check on Carberry gave the hosts the ascendancy.

A period of sustained pressure from Munster was rewarded with a try for replacement prop John Ryan, who crashed over from a short distance.

Munster continued to dominate the game in terms of both territory and possession but struggled to extend their lead due to a stubborn Connacht defence.

The hosts were eventually able to extend their lead with replacement hooker Niall Scannell steering a lineout maul over the line and forcing his way over for the bonus-point try.

The visitors continued to push for territory, with a penalty kick and resulting lineout allowing them to set up a ruck in the Munster 22 and Marmion scampered over to keep the score within touching distance.

Munster held on to the final whistle, however, and were deserved winners in the end.

Munster: Haley; Nash, Frisch, Scannell, Daly; Carbery, Casey; Wycherley, Barron, Salanoa; Kleyn, Beirne; O'Mahony, Hodnett, Kendellen.

Replacements: Scannell, Loughman, Ryan, Edogbo, O'Donoghue, Patterson, Crowley, Coombes.

Connacht: Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Murphy, Thornbury, Prendergast, Oliver, Butler, Blade, Carty, Wooton, Aki, Farrell, Ralston, Porch.

Replacements: Delahunt, Dooley, Aungier, Murray, Dowling, Marmion, Fitzgerald, Boyle.