Carbery makes the difference

Joey Carbery kicked 14 points as Munster won in Belfast for the first time in six years, which keeps their hopes of home advantage alive heading into the knockout stages of the URC.

John Cooney edged Ulster in front with a penalty after eight minutes, but Carbery replied with a 12th-minute penalty.

The Munster pack had no hesitation in going to touch with a penalty and after getting the drive on, veteran prop Stephen Archer, playing his 246th game for the province, got over for only his fifth try since his debut in 2009.

Willing

Ulster were willing to go wide but were sloppy in protecting the ball at the breakdown. They paid a big price 12 minutes from the break when a move down the right involving Robert Baloucoune and Stuart McCloskey broke down.

Munster countered with the South Africa trio of Jean Kleyn, Jason Jenkins and Damien de Allende driving the move. Carbery and Chris Farrell then combined to send Keith Earls over.

Carbery added his second conversion to give Johann van Graan’s side a 12-point lead at the break, 15-3.

They pushed that out to 18-3 four minutes after the restart after a couple of set-piece drives were repelled, but then Ulster hit back and hooker

Rob Herring got his 31st try after they got the set-piece and drive right after a penalty to the left corner. Cooney landed the touchline conversion to cut the gap to 18-10.

Piled

Good work at the breakdown by Craig Casey led to a penalty, which Carbery slotted from 30 metres to push the lead out to 21-10 going into the final quarter.

Ulster piled on the pressure in the closing minutes and after Munster winger Shane Daly was binned as the visitors coughed up penalties, replacement Sean Reidy got over for a try converted by Nathan Doak five minutes from time to cut the gap to four points.

But Munster closed out the win superbly and after replacement hooker Bradley Roberts did well to get back to deny Carbery a try after John Ryan had hacked ahead, the Munster out-half sealed the win with his fourth penalty. Scorers - Ulster: tries: R Herring, S Reidy; cons: J Cooney, N Doak; pen: Cooney. Munster: tries: S Archer, K Earls; cons: J Carbery (2); pens: Carbery (4).