JJ Hanrahan boots Connacht past Munster while Welsh starlet scores epic try in Ospreys win

Planet Rugby
Connacht fly-half JJ Hanrahan.

Connacht fly-half JJ Hanrahan.

Ex-Munster fly-half JJ Hanrahan came back to haunt his former team as he kicked 17 points in Connacht’s hard-fought 22-9 win at the Sportsground on Monday afternoon.

His five penalties and conversion of front-row Jack Aungier’s late try helped Connacht come out on top as Munster suffer back-to-back United Rugby Championship defeats.

A Boxing Day loss to Leinster has been followed by this negative at Connacht as they slip down the table while the latter move above them into ninth after this derby win.

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The unrelenting rain made for a dour United Rugby Championship derby, with Munster leading 6-3 at half-time after Tony Butler’s brace of penalties.

Connacht, who had Byron Ralston sin-binned just before the break, had the better of the second half despite Butler briefly giving Munster a 9-6 advantage.

Adding to his opening 16th-minute kick, a wind-backed Hanrahan fired over four more penalties before converting replacement Aungier’s game clinching 77th-minute try.

Held try-less for the second match running, first-half injuries for Oli Jager and Jack O’Donoghue added to Munster’s mid-season woes.

Having missed out on an early try due to Gavin Coombes’ knee touching the end-line, the visitors suffered another setback when prop Jager was stretched off following a double tackle.

Connacht also lost the services of Cathal Forde, with Jack Carty slotting in at fly-half and Hanrahan, who opened the scoring from the Munster 22-metre line, moving to centre.

A Hanrahan fumble, coupled with a sliced Mack Hansen kick, gave Munster the platform to draw level through Butler in the 22nd minute.

A brilliant 50:22 kick from Butler was followed up by a crooked throw from Scott Buckley – Munster’s lineout struggled at key stages – and Connacht absorbed some more pressure after a Carty kick was blocked by Tom Ahern.

Butler’s 31st-minute penalty did edge Munster in front for the first time, but O’Donoghue had to be replaced after his knee was damaged by Ralston’s dangerous entry at a breakdown.

The Connacht winger returned from his sin-binning, nine minutes into the second period, with Hanrahan having kicked the hosts level.

As the rain continued to sheet down, Munster captain Tadhg Beirne increased his influence at the breakdown and Butler split the posts from just inside the opposition 22.

However, Hanrahan made it nine-all when punishing a John Hodnett offside, and with Munster’s John Ryan popping up at a scrum, Connacht moved back in front with 14 minutes remaining.

Hanrahan then landed his best strike of the night, from just inside the Munster half with nine minutes to go, before narrowly missing from halfway.

Skipper Caolin Blade and Hansen both had to go off, but Connacht sealed the result when prop Aungier, supported by Denis Buckley, drove over after the Munster lineout had misfired again.

Morgan Morse scores epic try for Ospreys

Elsewhere in the URC, promising 18-year-old number eight Morgan Morse scored a wonderful solo try as Ospreys came from behind to beat Cardiff 27-21 in Bridgend.

Keelan Giles scored a pair of tries as Ospreys moved into the play-off places following back-to-back Welsh derby victories after defeating the Scarlets on Boxing Day.

Teenager Morse also went over, while they were awarded a penalty try with Dan Edwards tagging on a penalty and a conversion.

Owen Lane and Mason Grady scored the Cardiff tries in addition to three penalties and a conversion from Tinus de Beer.

Ospreys wing Giles got his side off to a fine start when he touched down in the corner in the eighth minute before opposite number Lane evened the score in the 15th minute.

Home flanker Harri Deaves, who had already pilfered a couple of turnovers, injured himself trying to prevent the try and played no further part in the game.

Cardiff hit the lead for the first time when Grady collected a Cameron Winnett up and under to canter 45 metres untouched to the try-line. De Beer’s conversion put the visitors 12-5 ahead.

Ospreys hooker Sam Parry was then caught offside by referee Adam Jones to give De Beer another easy three points to put Cardiff 15-5 ahead after 27 minutes.

The Ospreys defence began to creak, and they conceded another penalty at the breakdown for De Beer to extend Cardiff’s lead.

In a bid to get back into the game, the hosts went back to basics in the second half, using the heavy conditions to their advantage, kicking long to keep Cardiff deep inside their own half.

And the Ospreys were rewarded nine minutes after the restart when, after driving towards the tryline, their maul was pulled down illegally. Referee Jones instantly awarded a penalty try and sent James Botham to the sin-bin for good measure.

Despite that setback though, Cardiff still managed to edge two scores clear following another De Beer penalty and were seemingly on their way to victory, but Morse had other ideas when a long clearance kick came his way near halfway.

He skilfully collected possession with his foot before picking up the ball in greasy conditions with aplomb. He then exploded into action and beat four defenders on an arcing run before sliding over the line after a stunning 40-metre solo dash.

Edwards’ conversion brought the Ospreys right back in it and six minutes later he put the hosts in front again with a short-range penalty.

Edwards then superbly chipped ahead for Giles to expertly stab the ball past Winnett for the winger to score his second try of the game and wrap up victory.

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Cardiff Rugby