Defending champions Munster are off to a winning start in the Vodafone Women’s Interpros, with a bonus point win over Ulster at Musgrave Park this evening.

With attention now turning to the visit of Leinster next weekend, that game looks like a title decider already after the opening round as Munster were controlled and showed their class throughout the tie in Musgrave Park.

Keeping Ulster scoreless on an evening where they felt the conditions like their male counterparts did 24 hours previous, their backrow of Dorothy Wall, Maeve Og O'Leary and Deirbhile Nic an Bhaird showed their class to turn defence into attack and cause Ulster nightmares at the breakdown.

In terrible weather conditions the hosts started better and punished Ulster’s inability to find touch from a penalty, they hit the counter and would have a penalty of their own which Nicole Cronin used to find touch five metres from the line.

Their lineout and maul were superb and Deirbhile Nic an Bhaird popped up at the back to get over for the opening try, Cronin’s conversion was held up by the wind as Munster's lead was five nothing after four minutes.

Possession was difficult in such greasy conditions but Munster were doing well to keep the ball and work it into scoring chances, from a scrum inside their own half they charged forward with numerous phases creeping every closer to the try line, just shy of the line Dorothy Wall made a drive to score as did Maeve Og O’Leary but Ulster held them short, they kept driving short before Stephaine Nunan gathered wide and crossed for the second try, Cronin again unsuccessful from the tee.

Munster ended a dominant opening 15 minutes with a third try, Aoife Doyle skipping past two tacklers after cutting in from the channel after some great build up play by Munster once more, she raced clear into the space to add the third for a 15-0 lead as Cronin was finding the conditionals tough to kick into.

Ulster tried to get attacks going but handling errors and a solid Munster defence never threaten the hosts, they showed their counter attacking prowess of an Ulster knock on from the lineout as Nic an Bhaird raced clear before offloading to Nunan, she fed Maeve og O’Leary to sprint down the line only to be held just short, Munster kept the pressure and Claire Bennett got the bonus point try on the half hour mark, Cronin this time adding the extras for a 22-0 lead, which they took the break with little action following.

Into the second half and Munster kept showing their class, Nicole Cronin only lasted a few minutes before having to depart with Kate Flannery coming on for her senior debut, their solid defence halted Ulster and allowed them to break with Wall and O’Leary in that back row impactful at the counter attack.

Munster kept pressing and countless times were held just short of the Ulster line, Laura Sheehan looked to be in for a fifth try before the hour mark but the pass wide just eluded her and trickled into touch from a knock on. 

Chances were few and far between after a slow start but Munster kept pressing and pressing and managed their fifth try after the hour mark, after kicking to touch inside the Ulster 22, their lineout maul drove their opponents back toward the try line with Bennett commanding things at the back as she touched down to increase the lead to 27-0 as Enya Breen picked up the kicking duties but her effort went wide.

The game was beyond doubt after that fifth try as Ulster kept trying to get on the board Munster stood in their way, Nic a Bhaird capped off a great solo performance with her second try as the clock ticked into the red as Munster look to regain their crown this year.