Munster have now won three in a row at the Kingspan Stadium - the first time they have done that since the Second World War - but they had to it the hard way in Belfast.

First-half tries from Charles Piutau - his first for the club - and Rob Lyttle opened up a 14-0 first-half lead for the hosts who came into the game sitting top of the Guinness PRO12 standings.

But Rory Scannell went over for Munster - who dominated huge swathes of this clash - in first-half stoppage time to trim the gap.

Jaco Taute then crossed in the second half for the visitors but it looked like Ian Keatley's misfiring boot would cost the away side.

The fly-half - Munster's hero with a late penalty in this same fixture in January - missed three kicks at a goal and a drop goal and Ulster were clinging on to a 14-12 win as time ticked down.

But up stepped man of the match Scannell to slot a fine drop goal with five minutes remaining and although Jackson came agonisingly close with a drop goal of his own in the last two minutes, it drifted wide and Munster held on.

The home side came roaring out of the blocks and had the game's first try inside five minutes.
Jackson's kick to the corner was well batted down by Craig Gilroy despite the attention of two Munster defenders and Piutau was on hand to collect the loose ball and dart over for the score.

Jackson added the extras for a 7-0 lead but for the next half an hour that was as good as it got for the hosts as Munster turned the screw.

But Keatley's misfiring right foot failed to make the most of a forceful visiting pack that established both territory and possession.

The fly-half missed a drop goal and dragged a penalty horribly wide in the first quarter and the Ulster defence held firm.

They had to make do without Darren Cave who went off injured forcing a backline reshuffle as Piutau moved to outside centre and Gilroy to full-back.

But on a rare foray into the Munster half however, the home side grabbed their second try around the half-hour mark.

A kickable penalty went to the corner and although Munster withstood the driving lineout they hadn't counted on winger Lyttle.

On as an injury replacement for Cave, the youngster wriggled through three Munster tacklers to dive over under the posts and with Jackson's extras the home side had a flattering 14-0 lead.

But as the clock ticked into the red at end of first half the visitors finally got their reward as Scannell went over in the right corner. Keatley compounded a poor half by dragging the extras wide and Ulster led 14-5 at the break.

Keatley's second half didn't look like it was going to be much better than the first as he smacked a penalty against the post to keep Ulster nine points in front.

And as the heavens opened, the game tightened up and neither side could find a breakthrough as the hour mark approached.

But Munster kept coming, picking and going around the corner and eventually the dam broke as Taute cut a hard line to roll over and dot down their second try.

Rory Scannell took over the kicking duties and duly slotted the conversion and the home side's lead had been trimmed to just 14-12 with quarter of an hour remaining.

Ulster then wasted the chance to immediately respond when Jackson dragged a penalty wide and it stayed a two-point game into the final ten minutes.

Scannell then held his nerve while Jackson - the drop goal hero last weekend in Europe on the same ground - saw his effort drift just wide.

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