Munster have secured a semi-final meeting with Leinster in the Guinness Pro14 semi-finals after they comprehensively beat Connacht by 49-12 in a match which saw nine tries, three yellows, and two red cards.
A lack of discipline didn't help the westerners and they were up against it when debutant Abraham Papali'i was sent off for a high, shoulder-on-head tackle on Munster's Conor Murray.
Ten minutes later, Connacht forward Shane Delahunt also saw red for leading with the elbow to CJ Stander's neck.
The ill-disciplined tone was set in the seventh minute when Connacht's Conor Oliver was sent to to the sin bin for a tackle while off his feet. Munster duly capitalised on their numerical advantage when Chris Cloete crossed the whitewash off a driving maul.
JJ Hanrahan slotted over the conversion to give Johann van Graan's men the early lead.
Connacht's scrum was unable to hold on as Munster extended their lead after being awarded a penalty try.
Following the two red cards, Jeremy Loughman burrowed over for his side's third try as Munster made their numerical advantage count.
Peter O'Mahony and Tadgh Beirne were both sin-binned for Munster as half-time approached and Connacht used that to their advantage as Bundee Aki gathered Caolin Blade's pass to score just before the break.
Beirne returned from the sin bin to bag Munster's bonus-point try and the game was finished when Munster ran the length of the pitch for a fantastic team try, which was scored by Andrew Conway.
The winger scored his second try moments later when he got onto the end of JJ Hanrahan's grubber.
James Cronin stretched Munster's lead after the Munster pack powered their way over the line from the lineout, and Jonny Murphy scored Connacht's second try following a wonderful break by Aki.
However, Munster got the job done and they'll face Leinster on Friday for a place in this season's Guinness Pro14 final.
TRY:
52 mins:
MUNSTER 35-7 Connacht.
Andrew Conway finishes off a brilliant, length-of-the-pitch move for Munster's fifth try at the Aviva Stadium.
JJ Hanrahan again adds the extras.
It's LIVE now on eir sport 1!#MUNvCON #GuinnessPRO14 pic.twitter.com/4DCQaQVmWF— eir Sport (@eirSport) August 30, 2020
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