A try from Tom Gleeson in the 78th minute converted by replacement JJ Hanrahan gave Munster a 22-20 win over Connacht in the A game at Thomond Park Stadium.
Connacht won't agree, but it was a victory that Munster just about deserved even if it did take them almost the entire game to score their only try but they finished the stronger side and did have Connacht clinging desperately to their coat tails at the finish.
Munster went six points clear thanks to two Declan Cusack penalties in the 4th and 11th minutes before Tadhg Leader had an opportunity from 35 metres, his effort slipping narrowly wide.
However, having established good field position Connacht kept the pressure on and were rewarded in the 26th minute when slick handling saw Conor Finn score wide on the left, Leader’s touchline conversion edging the visitors ahead.
Munster’s response was immediate and when they won a kickable penalty they opted for touch ten metres out. Phillip Donnellan took cleanly at the tail but there was no reward as Cusack’s drop goal attempt drifted right and wide.
That proved an expensive miss because minutes before the break Connacht robbed Munster of possession on the half way for Leader to race in under the posts unopposed.
Munster had the final say when Cusack kicked a late penalty that saw the visitors lead reduced to five points at the interval.
Connacht lost three of those points almost from the kick off. They also lost Finlay Bealham who was yellow carded for a cynical trip on Cusack who was forced to retire injured.
His replacement, JJ Hanrahan kicked the penalty to leave just two points separating the sides and another Hanrahan penalty in the 52nd minute edged Munster one point clear.
Six minutes later Connacht were back in front, Leader kicking the penalty from 35 metres after Munster had been pinged for not rolling away and he was on the mark – after Hanrahan was wide – again in the 70th minute from in front of the Munster sticks.
Play was delayed for six minutes when one of the Connacht props was injured and when play resumed Connacht number 10 Jack Carthy needed to be sharp to touch down after they had probed on the left. However from the resultant scrum, Munster worked the open side and had numbers aplenty and Tom Gleeson scored the try to tie the score, Hanrahan’s conversion putting Munster in front with two minutes of normal time to run.
Munster A: R O’Mahony; L O’Dea (C O’Hanlon 64th min) , JJ Hanrahan, T Gleeson, C Hircock (D Moroney 64th min); D Cusack (G Quinn-McDonagh 46th min), G Hurley (C Sheridan ht); D Kilcoyne (J Cronin ht), D Fogarty (S Henry 51st min), J Ryan (C Condon ht); P Donnellan, D Foley (B Hayes 37th min); S Buckley, B O’Hara (J Shine 78th min), P Butler captain.
Connacht A: C Boland; J Loxton, R Henshaw, T Leader, C Finn; J Carthy, D Moore; F Bealham, D Murphy capt, S Maguire; M Kearney, D Qualter; D Heffernan, A Conneely, E McKeon.
