Connacht start 2020 with a bang against Munster

Connacht started 2022 with a bang in overcoming Munster 10-8 at The Sportsground in a United Rugby Championship fixture yesterday evening.

A Jack Carty penalty in the first half and a Bundee Aki try, which was converted by replacement Conor Fitzgerald, in the second half accounted for all of Connacht's scores in a game where they had to defend heroically at times, for one period playing with just 13 players on the pitch.

The Munster scorers were Andrew Conway (try) and Ben Healy (penalty), but they didn't trouble the scoreboard operators at all in the second half.

Connacht were forced into changes before the game. The named starting hooker, Mayo man Dave Heffernan, was ruled out, with Shane Delahunt coming into the team and Jonny Murphy promoted to the replacements' bench. Matthew Burke, the Ballinrobe native, and Finlay Bealham were able to take their places alongside Delahunt in the front row from the start.

Carty had Connacht in front with a penalty on 15 minutes but Healy responded in kind not long afterwards before Conway benefitted from a charge down and touched down for the game's first try, giving the visitors an 8-3 lead.

Munster camped on the Connacht line close to half-time but the westernders defended staunchly, despite losing Oisin Dowling to a yellow card after one infringement too many for the referee's liking.

Still, they survived the onslaught and won a penalty to relieve the pressure and leave just an uncoverted try between the sides at the break.

After a coming together just before half-time, Healy and Shane Delahunt were both carded also, meaning Connacht would be down to 13 men against the 14 of Munster for the early stages of the second half.

After both teams returned to their full complement, Munster were then forced to play with 14 for 10 minutes when Chris Farrell saw yellow for a tackle that was late and high.

The hosts immediately punished the indiscretion, going for the line with the subsequent penalty and launching a rolling maul from the resultant feed. Bundee Aki touched down at the end of the maul, and Fitzgerald slotted the conversion.

There were no more scores as Connacht controlled the closing 20 minutes to see out an impressive victory.

Connacht return to action on Saturday, January 15, with a home game against Leicester Tigers in the Heineken Champions Cup.