Ulster survived a second half siege by Munster at a raucous Thomond Park as they held on to win by just one, precious point, 15-14.

The one-point score hadn’t looked at all likely when Ulster stormed into a 15-3 advantage but were pegged back by a resilient Munster.

Despite losing flanker, Sean Reffel, to injury in the warmup, it proved a blessing in disguise for Ulster as his replacement, Jordi Murphy, opened the scoring with a well-taken try from a driving maul.

Nathan Doak missed the conversion and Munster’s 10, Jack Crowley reduced the deficit to 5-3 with a penalty on ten minutes.

Ulster’s maul was causing carnage and hooker Tom Stewart surged over the line to score their second try, Doak off target again with the conversion in blustery conditions.

David McCann had a try disallowed for the visitors before Munster centre, Malakai Fekitowa was sin-binned for a reckless elbow out at McCann.

Ulster made the man advantage count as another well-executed maul gave James Hume the space to sprint in, on half time, for their third try.

Prop Rory Sutherland was introduced for his Ulster debut at the interval and with Crowley slotting a further two penalties, Dan McFarland’s side were penned in going into the final quarter.

A raucous Thomond Park crowd had more to cheer when Ulster replacement, Cormac Izuchukwu, was yellow carded for impeding.

Like Ulster before them, Munster capitalised on the extra man with winger Shane Daly, freed by a gorgeous pass from sub-Simon Zebo, galloping over in the corner.

That made it 14-15 and with Thomond on a knife-edge, Crowley’s conversion agonisingly rebounded back off the post, keeping Ulster ahead.

Evan O’Connell made history as Munster’s youngest ever player during his late cameo, but it was another Ulster flanker, Duane Vermaulen, who made himself a hero. He won a penalty with the clock red, and Ulster breathed a sigh of almighty relief.