In maintaining their 100% record with a 30-8 win over Ulster in ideal conditions at Musgrave Park, Munster A also left themselves in a good frame of mind ahead of the inaugural British & Irish Cup.
That competition begins for the Anthony Foley/Ian Costello coached side in Coventry’s Butts Stadium in a fortnight and Foley expressed his satisfaction afterwards when he said, "Overall we’d be happy with that performance. We like to encourage our lads to go out there and express themselves and would be very happy with the ambition they showed. They played it tight when they needed to and then took the game to a good Ulster side. There are areas we’ll be looking at and hoping to improve on but all in all, very happy with that display."
Out-half Declan Cusack kicked Munster into the lead in the 6th minute after missing with an earlier effort but his opposite number Niall O’Connor leveled from in front of the posts ten minutes later.
The experienced Timoci Nagusa always looked threatening from broken play and at the start of the second quarter when he made an incisive break up the centre of the field, he had prop Adam Macklin in support who in turn found Ian Whitten who scored wide on the left at the ‘Well’ end.
Cusack reduced the deficit with a 26th minute penalty before slick handling in the backline involving both wingers, Denis Hurley and Felix Jones, ended in a superbly worked try for full back Danny Riordan.
Cusack tapped over the conversion and again added the extras to Damian Varley’s try as Munster pounded the Ulster line in injury time.
Ulster started the second half in determined fashion and were held up short of the Munster line an several occasions. When they lifted the siege, Cusack landed his fifth successful kick and the home side never really ceded control from thereon in. Replacement prop Christy Condon lasted all of 60 seconds before returning to the dug-out courtesy of a yellow card but he made amends on his return when he blasted his way over for a try that Jones converted to leave Munster comfortable and deserving winners.
Munster: D Riordan (R O’Mahony 76th min); F Jones, T Gleeson, S Deasy (E Maloney 74th min), D Hurley; D Cusack, P Rowley (C Murray 52nd min); D Kilcoyne (C Condon 61st min), D Varley (M Sherry 76th min), S Archer; I Nagle, D Foley; B Holland, T O’Donnell (P O’Mahony 60th min), J Coughlan capt (K Essex 76th min).
Ulster Ravens: Jamie Smith, Timoci Nagusa, Johnny Sheils, Ian Whitten, Tommy Seymour; Niall O’Connor, Cillian Willis; Patrick McAllister, Declan Fitzpatrick, Adam Macklin; Neil McComb, Ryan Caldwell; Chris Napier, David Pollock, Tamaiti Horua. Replacements: Ryan Fisher, Justin Fitzpatrick, John Burns, Alistair Birch, Ian Porter, Luke Marshall, Chris Cochrane
