Munster 7 Leinster 28.

You couldn’t fault the effort on either side, but the skill levels seemed to be lacking. Henshaw threw a forward pass with the try-line beckoning even if the pass had gone two yards backward. Billy Burns kicked the ball dead and Rory Scannell missed a penalty to touch. The passing and handling lacked accuracy resulting in quite a few knock-ons and turnovers.

Sam Prendergast managed to avoid the above malaise – his passing was always accurate and his kicking precise. He also took his try remarkably well, although you have to wonder at the Munster midfield defence with Leinster a man down due to a Tommy O’Brien yellow card for repeated offenses in defence.  What does Rory Scannell add to this Munster team? The penalty count was Munster 3 Leinster 11 at an early stage of the second half, so Leinster have a few work-ons as well.

I always favoured Crowley as Sexton’s natural successor – Ross Byrne simply doesn’t represent enough of a running threat – which puts his backline under additional pressure. But unfortunately, both Crowley and Byrne’s form have taken a backward step as Prendergast’s star has risen, and right now he is the only outstanding player we have at 10. Sadly, Crowley was rested for this match which robbed the spectators of an interesting head to head comparison.

But Munster were never going to take a 0-14 half-time score line lying down, with Tom Ahern using every inch of his 6’ 10” frame to make the line wide off a short tapped penalty and make it 7-14.

The Leinster scrum really starting motoring and gave the referee no choice but to award penalties from which Prendergast extracted the maximum yardage. It didn’t take Van Der Flier long to bring the score-line back to a 14 point margin – 7-21.

Henshaw then squandered a penalty advantage with a croc roll which meant the penalty was reversed. Seriously lads? Experienced test players conceding needless penalties?

But Munster’s passing and handling did not improve, and they struggled to put sustained attacks together. As if to confirm my earlier prognosis, Ross Byrne then missed a penalty to touch. Prendergast’s masterclass seems to have spooked him into trying too hard and taking on too much.

Not to matter, the Leinster pack took charge not troubling their backline with too much ball. Their modh díreach leading to a try for Caelan Doris. Despite not being a huge man, his ability to break through the toughest of defences never ceases to amaze me.

The game ended with Leinster in almost total control, the Munster bench no match for Leinster’s. Tadgh Beirne was his usual industrious self, but it is difficult to pick out other outstanding Munster performers. For Leinster Osborne got involved an awful lot to mixed effect but other than Prendergast the plaudits have to go to the Leinster pack who had the edge for most of the match.

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; Dian Bleuler, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager, Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (CAPT), Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke for Scannell 21 mins; Scannell for Clarke 37 mins; John Hodnett for Wycherley 40 mins; Paddy Patterson for Coughlan 51 mins; John Ryan for Jaeger 54 mins; Tony Butler for Burns 65 mins; Brian Gleeson for Kendellen 64 mins; Clarke for Scannell 73 mins; Kieran Ryan for Bleuler 73 mins; Ben O’Connor for Haley 74 mins

LEINSTER: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Jack Boyle, Ronan Kelleher, Rabah Slimani, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Andrew Porter for Boyle 21 mins; Cian Healy for Slimani 52 mins; Fintan Gunne for McGrath 52 mins; Lee Barron for Kelleher 63 mins; Ross Byrne for Prendergast 63 mins; Scott Penny for van der Flier 72 mins; Jordan Larmour for Ringrose 73 mins; Brian Deeny for Ryan 74 mins

—00O00— Update

Connacht 7 Ulster 17

Long gone are the days when Connacht were the Cinderella province of Irish rugby. Nowadays they have a squad at least the equal of Ulster’s, and perhaps Munster as well.  They can field a first XV not a million miles from test quality and their bench is not too shabby as well. I was surprised by the degree to which a half strength Leinster pack were able to dominate them but it was mistakes in defence that did for them last week, and not gross refereeing bias as Mack Hansen alleged.

Ulster, by way of contrast, are very much in a rebuilding phase, and give Jack Murphy (20) and Rory Telfer their first starts, and Wilhelm De Klerk his first chance off the bench. They haven’t won an away match all season and have a horrendous injury list. Both teams have been disrupted by late withdrawals and even Ulster replacement hooker John Andrew had to be relaced for a HIA for a while. Ulsterman, Darren Cave, on match commentary, didn’t give them much of a chance.

Ulster didn’t get that message and started this match on the offensive, Eric O’Sullivan getting over the line after a sustained attack. 0-7. Ulster keep making inroads through the middle, and an attack led by James McNabney leads to a penalty which Doak converts for 0-10. Connacht seem to have reverted to their passive and reactive style which led to so many inconsistent performances and avoidable defeats in the past.

Connacht start to get their line-out and scrum motoring but are being stymied by robust and physical Ulster defence. Finlay Bealham is doing a number on Eric O’Sullivan but Jack Murphy clears the danger with a monstrous kick – or so we thought. From a line-out on halfway Jack Carty chips the defence and Hansen benefits from a ricochet off Michael Lowry’s shin to run home unopposed. 7-10. H/t.

I suspect Connacht coach, Pete Wilkins, will give them a rocket at the interval, but fair dues to Ulster, they have been very physical and committed in both attack and defence. But for an unlucky bounce, Ulster could have been 10 points up.

Ulster remain unremittingly physical making ground with every carry and finally score a try by Timoney off a maul. Connacht get back into it with some excellent attacking, but keep making mistakes at the crucial moment – the worst by Cathal Forde kicking it dead from a penalty. With the reserve front rows on Connacht then contrive to lose a scrum on the Ulster 5 metre line and Murphy nearly scores a try at the other end.

Ulster can be very proud of the performance of their young guns, all of whom had big games. They started at full throttle and never let up. Connacht conceded the initiative early on and always seemed to be trying to play catch up with almost nothing really working for them. Nick Timoney led from the front and was a deserving MOTM, but everyone in the Ulster squad deserves huge credit.

CONNACHT: Piers O’Conor; Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Santiago Cordero; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham; Josh Murphy, Niall Murray; Cian Prendergast (capt), Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Peter Dooley, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Sean Jansen, Ben Murphy, Shane Jennings, Conor Oliver.

ULSTER: Michael Lowry; Werner Kok, Ben Carson, Jude Postlethwaite, Rory Telfer; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Eric O’Sullivan, John Andrew, Scott Wilson; Kieran Treadwell, Cormac Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Nick Timoney (capt), James McNabney.

Replacements: James McCormick, Andrew Warwick, Corrie Barrett, Harry Sheridan, David McCann, John Cooney, Aidan Morgan, Wilhelm De Klerk.