Munster 46

Connacht 7

Connacht were brought crashing back down to earth in Musgrave Park at the weekend as defending champions Munster ran in eight tries in a field rout to book their place in the interpros decider with a game to spare.

Connacht came into the game high on confidence after a last-gasp win over Leinster the previous weekend, but while they will be disappointed to have gone down to such a big defeat, they are still in the running to join their hosts in the final.

They should prove too strong at home for an Ulster side that is without a point after two games, but they will also need Munster to do them a favour in Donnybrook on Saturday.

They trailed 24-7 at half-time, with Clara Barrett crossing for their try midway through the first-half which was converted by Nicole Fowley. That brought the visitors right back into the game at seven points apiece, after Munster had opened the scoring through a try from Maeve Óg O’Leary, which was converted by Kate Flannery, but after Barrett and Fowley got Connacht off the mark, the home side took total control to score 39 unanswered points to seal the win.

Connacht played with the advantage of the wind in the first-half, but by half-time they found themselves 24-7 adrift. Both sides had a player sent to the sin bin in that opening 40 minutes, with O’Leary the first to depart after attracting the referee’s ire in the 34th minute.

However, Connacht’s numerical advantage lasted just four minutes when Lily Brady also found herself sent to the line for a 10-minute break.

Pictured: Clara Barrett scored Connacht’s try.