WATCH: Munster Rugby edge Connacht in thrilling 10-try URC interpro derby at Thomond Park

MUNSTER Rugby kicked off their United Rugby Championship campaign with a dramatic 35-33 bonus point victory over interprovincial rivals Connacht in front of an official attendance of 15,705 at Thomond Park on Saturday evening.

Visitors Connacht held a 19-14 lead at half-time thanks to a try by debutant Josh Iaone and two five-pointers from scrum-half Ben Murphy, while New Zealand centre Alex Nankivell and Ireland international Mike Haley touched down for last season's semi-finalists Munster. 

Connacht had lost full-back Santiago Cordero to a sin-binning after he caught Craig Casey high

The tries kept coming after the restart as both sides secured their bonus point.

Mike Haley scores a try as Munster rally against Connacht. #MUNvCON pic.twitter.com/J3ZHfx1IjJ

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 21, 2024

Connacht replacement David Hawkshaw and Cathal Forde cancelled out efforts from John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes but Tony Butler, Munster’s reserve fly-half, coolly converted Shane Daly’s 69th-minute try to decide the outcome.

Shane Daly crosses the whitewash for Munster in high-scoring encounter. #MUNvCON pic.twitter.com/ADeo8x9MTy

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 21, 2024

SCORERS: Munster: Alex Nankivell, Mike Haley, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes, Shane Daly try each, Billy Burns 3 cons, Tony Butler 2 cons; Connacht: Ben Murphy 2 tries, Josh Ioane try, 3 cons, Cathal Forde try, con, David Hawkshaw try;

MUNSTER RUGBY: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Billy Burns, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Seán O’Brien for Daly (37-40 mins) and Farrell (73 mins); Josh Wycherley for Loughman, Oli Jager for Ryan, Alex Kendellen for Quinn (all 50 mins); Tony Butler for Burns (54 mins); Jack O’Donoghue for Kleyn (55 mins); Niall Scannell for Barron (63 mins). 

Munster coach Graham Rowntree pays tribute to both sides after the URC win over Connacht, but admits his team have "plenty to work on". #MUNvCON pic.twitter.com/F40Bib7ZK8

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 21, 2024

CONNACHT: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Cathal Forde, Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier; Joe Joyce, Darragh Murray; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt). Replacements: David Hawkshaw for Bolton (32 mins); Peter Dooley for Buckley, Sam Illo for Aungier, Oisín Dowling for Joyce, Shamus Hurley-Langton for Oliver, Sean Jansen for Murray (all 53 mins), Caolin Blade for Murphy (64 mins), Dylan Tierney-Martin for Heffernan (67 mins).

REFEREE: Chris Busby (IRFU)