Munster v Ulster: Five takeaways as ‘War God’ Peter O’Mahony stars in Thomond Park farewell while Tadhg Beirne makes Lions statement

Following Munster’s 38-20 victory over Ulster at Thomond Park, here are our five takeaways from the United Rugby Championship clash.

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A fervent inter-pro derby that truly had it all saw Munster claim a much-needed bonus-point victory to remain in the hunt for a URC play-off spot.

After a hard-fought first 40 minutes, it was the hosts who went into the sheds 24-20 ahead courtesy of tries from Michael Milne, Tom Farrell, Tadhg Beirne and Niall Scanell. Ulster remained within touching distance thanks to scores from Stuart McCloskey and Jude Postlethwaite, paired with some accurate place kicking from Jack Murphy.

However, an emotionally charged Munster took control of proceedings in the second half with Farrell grabbing his second before the roof of Thomond Park barely remained in place as Peter O’Mahony attempted to bury the ball in the turf as he scored what could well be his final try at his home ground. A Jack Crowley conversion gave Munster a 38-20 lead, which remained intact when the final whistle was blasted.

Vintage Peter O’Mahony reappears

There was a deafening applause at the hour mark as one of Munster’s greatest warriors departed proceedings. Every now and then, a player comes along who lives and breathes the values of a club and becomes a true embodiment, garnering a cult-like following with the fans. That is Peter O’Mahony to a tee.

Over the last 15 years, he has given his all for the club he loves so much, and the feeling is very much mutual. While the British and Irish Lion has not quite been as impactful around the park as he has been down the years, he was right back at his brutal and sensational best today.

He annoyed and pestered Ulster throughout his performance, leading to a trademark trading of handbags. But there was much more than just the nitty-gritty bits from the veteran flanker who gloriously stepped in the field before unselfishly setting up Farrell.

He also landed several hammering hits on defence and slammed down his try with an emphatic thump that resulted in a rapturous roar after latching onto a cross kick for what is the most popular Munster score in recent memory.

As the camera panned over to the Munster hero on the sidelines after his departure, the usual stern face looked uncharacteristically emotional.

Today, Thomond Park bid farewell to the man fittingly dubbed ‘War God’ as he played what is likely to be his final game at the famous ground and boy, he did not disappoint. The season is not done just yet, and there may well be some silverware to celebrate before O’Mahony spends more time tending to his lawn.

It would be remiss to mention O’Mahony and not two of the other favourite Munster sons, with Conor Murray and Stephen Archer also playing their final games at the iconic ground.

Two players who have also served the club with extreme distinction. For over a decade, there were few, if any, better scrum-halves than Murray, who was one of the most consistent performers in world rugby.

The scrum-half heads off to pastures new and may well return to Thomond Park, but it won’t be in the Munster red as he aims to extend his career for one more season.

A masterful tactician, kicker and a serious competitor who, like O’Mahony, embodied the grit, grunt and sheer disdain for losing.

Finally, a man who is less in the limelight than the aforementioned duo but by no means less pivotal for the Irish club during his incredible 16-year-long tenure, Archer was the cornerstone of Munster’s scrum throughout his career. He played over 300 times for the men in red and bows out as a legend of the club.

Tadhg Beirne makes Lions positional bid

Perhaps the luckiest British and Irish Lions squad member as his nerves were relieved quickest being the first name read out by Ieuan Evans and with the opportunity to stamp down an early statement of intent, the Munster captain well and truly took it today.

When one studies the Lions squad, there is a real lack of out-and-out blindside flankers providing Beirne with a grand chance of cracking the starting XV. He packed down in the second-row alongside Jean Kleyn today but produced a flanker-esque performance, something we’ve become accustomed to over the years.

It’s no secret that he is more than comfortable at flank, having shone in the role for club and country but today was just another reminder of how impactful he can be in the loose. He brilliantly charged down Murphy after the restart, following Postlethwaite’s try, flexing his game smarts and extreme athleticism, but his impact stretched far beyond that.

He racked up a tidy 13 tackles, won two turnovers and linked up well as a distributor in the forward pods. Munster’s lineout remained shaky, but Beirne made sure that Ulster did not have a free ride on their ball either.

Maro Itoje’s appointment as skipper pretty much fills one spot in the second-row and with Andy Farrell likely to go with a bulkier option beside him, Beirne could well be vying for a role on the side of the scrum or as an impact off the bench, but on today’s evidence he wants the former.

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Ulster’s discipline

The final penalty count reads Munster 9-11 Ulster, but at the point that the hosts had gone 38-20 up on the scoreboard, the visitors had racked up nearly triple the number of penalties.

In a match that was so closely fought in the first half, Ulster’s discipline was part of their undoing in the second. It did not help that Scott Wilson visited the sin bin in the first half, which compounded the pressure, while McCloskey’s yellow in the second was simply a brain fade. The ball was ripe for the picking, and he just could not contain himself and kicked it on.

Race to Eight update

That ill-discipline effectively brings Ulster’s season to an end with one game left to play, against Edinburgh next week. Seven wins from 17 matches was never going to be enough as they needed a bonus-point victory over Munster in Limerick, which is usually a massive ask, and that’s before one factors in the emotional driver for the hosts of today’s occasion.

For Ulster boss Richie Murphy, it’s back to the drawing board for next season after the final week as he looks to turn things around in Belfast in his second full season in charge.

As for Munster, they entered this weekend with a 50% probability of making the URC knockout stages according to Oval’s predictor, but today’s result has provided a massive boost.

They sit in fifth position behind the Sharks, who sealed a home quarter-final with their win over the Ospreys, but are 12 points adrift.

Munster complete their regular season at Virgin Media Park against Benetton, who face title holders Glasgow Warriors this weekend and also remain in the race to make the final eight.

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