CONNACHT 20-16 MUNSTER
Many a Connacht fan must have left The Sportsround musing that the wrong Farrell had been picked in the Ireland squad.
Connacht centre Tom Farrell outshone his namesake, Chris, as 14-man Munster let a 13-10 lead slip to leave Galway despondent.
Kieran Keane's men found themselves 7-0 down after only four minutes when Rory Scannell found Simon Zebo for an early try by the posts. Both men are exiles from Schmidt's Guinness Series squad but there were more plot twists to come.
Tiernan O'Halloran was also left out on the cold, on Thursday. Just over 24 hours later after the IRFU announcement confirmed what he knew [Schmidt was in touch on Wednesday evening], O'Halloran was the game's biggest attacking threat. He made 100 metres off 13 carries and one of those carries - after a super Bundee Aki pass - brought Connacht level.
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Penalties were traded between both sides and it was an arm-wrestle until a massive sending off decision just before the hour mark.
Andrew Conway - one of the 38 lucky men to make that Ireland squad - was having another fine game until he clocked Connacht outhalf Jack Carty. There was no real malice in the collision but Conway was half-turned, with knee and arm raised. As soon as replays showed him connecting with Carty's head, Nigel Owens showed little hesitation in flashing a red card.
Around this time, Connacht tight-head Finlay Bealham - surplus to Irish requirements - stepped up and won two huge scrum penalties for his team. He was immense all night.
Down to 14, Munster briefly rallied to go 13-10 but Connacht kept coming at them.
The game-breaker - after both sides traded penalties - came when Kieran Marmion found Farrell, who was running a brilliant line. He took the pop pass at full pelt and breezed through JJ Hanrahan and glided home. Craig Ronaldson added the extras and Munster left needing a try to snatch it.
The scoring was done but the contest raged on until Farrell ended it by laying into ball-carrying Hanrahan. Turnover achieved, Connacht hoofed the ball into touch and the day was theirs'.
O'Halloran, Jarrad Butler and Connacht captain John Muldoon were all excellent but O'Halloran and Bealham were the stand-outs. It's a shame there was no room for them in the Ireland squad either.
