Munster fell to a 10-8 defeat at the Sportsground in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday evening.

Andrew Conway scored his 49^th Munster try and Ben Healy kicked a penalty but Connacht were deserving winners of a scrappy affair.

A Ben Healy Garryowen caused havoc in the Connacht 22 early on with Jack O’Donoghue claiming the loose ball but the hosts got over the ball to win the turnover penalty.

20-year-old Alex Kendellen, making his first start, was unlucky to be pinged when he looked to get over the ball minutes later. Jack Carty kicked to the corner but the Munster pack did superbly to repel their counterparts.

Damian de Allende was penalised for playing a loose ball on the deck on 15 minutes with Carty making it 3-0.

Mike Haley was obstructed as he chased a garryowen moments later and Healy made it 3-3 from long range.

Munster hit the front on 23 minutes as Healy hammered the ball clear after a Connacht knock-on. Healy chased the kick and blocked the retreating Mack Hansen’s clearance with Shane Daly following up before Conway touched down in the left corner. Healy was unable to add the conversion.

A Jack O’Donoghue lineout steal saw Munster go back on the attack but the Connacht maul defence was good and forced the turnover.

The visitors ended the half well on top and a long, looping pass from Healy sent Conway away from the right but the Connacht defence recovered to stop the winger just short of the line.

After conceding four penalties in the red zone, Oisin Dowling was eventually sent to the sin bin for offside on 37 minutes.

Munster kept the pressure on as Connacht continued to give away penalties but the hosts’ defence stood firm to keep the score at 8-3.

Ben Healy and Shane Delahunt were both sin-binned for the first 10 minutes of the second half after a number of players clashed on their way off the pitch at half-time.

Fitzgerald was narrowly off target with a Connacht penalty on 43 minutes before Mike Haley did superbly to catch Kieran Marmion after the scrum-half intercepted a Craig Casey pass as Munster attacked deep inside the Connacht 22.

A long-range effort from Healy went just wide on 54 minutes with Chris Farrell shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Tom Farrell shortly afterwards.

Fitzgerald kicked to the corner and Connacht mauled over with Bundee Aki touching down to make it 8-8 as Fitzgerald’s conversion made it 10-8 to Connacht after 58 minutes.

Connacht did well to play much of the remainder in Munster territory and see out the win, Munster’s first loss at the Sportsground since 2017.

United Rugby Championship Round 9 Round-Up

Greencore Munster Rugby Academy back-row Alex Kendellen made his first Munster start.

Jean Kleyn departed with a knee injury early in the second half and will be assessed by the medical department.

Munster: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Shane Daly; Ben Healy, Craig Casey (Neil Cronin, 66); Dave Kilcoyne (Jeremy Loughman, 59), Niall Scannell (Diarmuid Barron, 59), Stephen Archer (Keynan Knox, 59); Jean Kleyn (inj, Thomas Ahern, 44), Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), Alex Kendellen (Jack Daly, 63), Gavin Coombes.