Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT’S THE RED MIST
Ulster made to pay dearly for Addison’s lack of discipline
WILL ADDISON’S first start in 16 months ended in a nightmare red card just before the break as Ulster fell to a third defeat in a row.
The 28-year-old was clearly fired up and a late tackle on Rory Scannell after seven minutes lead to a dust-up involving a couple of dozen players.
He subsequently got a red card for a high tackle on Shane Daly just before the break and Munster made them pay, with Mike Haley bursting through to score their third try to lead 19-3 at the interval.
In the end the Reds ran out deserved six tries to one winners after a performance laced with confidence.
Ulster, playing against the wind, got a perfect start when new Lion Tadhg Beirne was pinged for offside and Michael Lowry tapped over the penalty inside two minutes.
But Munster settled and with Gavin Coombes,
Fineen Wycherley and
Beirne leading the way, they got on top.
A patient build-up was finished superbly when Scannell spotted a gap to burst through after 11 minutes, with JJ Hanrahan’s conversion giving them a lead they never lost.
Good work by Daly down the left and by Dan Goggin in the next phases paved the way for Munster to drive towards the line and Conor Murray (inset) marked his third Lions call-up with a poacher’s try from close range after 27 minutes. JJ Hanrahan was unable to convert and also missed a penalty. Blood replacement Damian de Allende put Haley through for Munster’s third try to lead by 19-3 at the break.
Ulster skipper Iain Henderson celebrated his Lions inclusion with a try from close range four minutes after the restart as the visitors piled on the pressure after making five changes at the break, including a new front row.
Lowry added the conversion to cut the gap to 19-10 but that was as close as Ulster got. Munster squandered a couple of good opportunities with lineout malfunctions but Scannell pounced to intercept a Lowry pass in midfield to run in their fourth try and kill the game after 55 minutes.
Munster pushed on with JJ Hanrahan sniping through a sleepy defence to score three minutes later before Ulster were restored to 15 men.
James Hume came on for the final quarter to replace the dismissed Addision but Ulster rarely looked like getting back into the game.
And Munster finished in style when they broke from deep and recycled at pace before Scannell threaded a crossfield pass for Andrew Conway to collect and race in for his first try of the season and wrap up a second Rainbow Cup win for Munster and condemn Ulster to their second loss.