Ulster secured a first victory over Munster in Thomond Park since 2014, with a narrow 15-14 win, in a game that was marred by a couple of contentious calls.
The niggle and bite which flowed through today's URC inter-pro derby managed to boil over at times, and resulted in two controversial acts of foul play.
Both incidents brought a lot of negative reactions on social media, both against the players in question, and referee Frank Murphy's adjudication.
Early in the first-half, Ulster no. 8 Duane Vermeulen - who ended up securing the match winning turnover - was found tussling on the floor with Munster's Diarmuid Barron. A penalty against the South African initially looked fair, but on closer viewing, replays showed that the no. 8 made contact with Barron's eye area.
While the contact was brief and possibly accidental, most incidents of its kind result in a red card, and there was shock when no card of either colour was shown.
The next altercation took place on the stroke of half-time when Malakai Fekitoa put in a high shot on Ulster's David McCann, driving up and causing dangerous shoulder to head contact.
After multiple replays, and the commentators sure that a red was incoming, Murphy summoned a couple of mitigating factors and gave Fekitoa the lenient sentence of ten minutes in the bin.
A Lot Of Niggle In Munster - Ulster Showdown
Yellow card. "Player steps back late" pic.twitter.com/AiZFjzEIeB
— SmallClone (@Smallclone_) October 29, 2022
Deliberate eye gouge followed up by choking the same man on the ground. Vile#MUNvULS pic.twitter.com/1UXfER5MBO
— 1 (@Jfknotme123) October 29, 2022
Ridiculously lucky that isn't red.
— Three Red Kings (@threeredkings) October 29, 2022
Vermeulen very lucky. I really wouldn't have argued much if that was a red.#MUNvULS
— Jonny (@UlsterNause) October 29, 2022
READ HERE: Munster Young Guns Give Munster-Leinster Rivalry Boost It Needs
The defeat gives Munster their fifth loss in seven URC games this season, while Ulster sit nicely in second place behind Leinster.
Other positives for Ulster were the man-of-the-match performance from Marty Moore, celebrating his recent call-back to the Irish squad, while new signing Rory Sutherland made three turnovers in his debut off the bench.
SEE ALSO: Ferris Backs A Weakened Ulster To Take Down Munster In Thomond Park
