Eric Elwood (left) scored 14 points for Connacht

After 78 minutes, O'Gara created the move which ended with Marcus Horan getting a Munster try in the corner which Staunton superbly converted.

The kick gave Staunton a personal tally of 30 points.

Munster had to rely on their substitutes to bring them victory.

Their line-out was in tatters until international Frankie Sheahan went on after an hour.

His line-out throws brought a big improvement in the Munster play.

It was a help too when Connacht's Colm Rigney was sin-binned but once O'Gara entered the fray it was curtains for Connacht, who had defended superbly up to that stage.

Elwood kicked superbly for Connacht but they rarely looked like penetrating the Munster defence until three minutes into injury time.

Then replacement scrum-half Eoin Reddan nipped in, and Elwood tapped over the conversion to complete the scoring.

Munster: Staunton, J. O'Neill, Mullens, Kelly, Horgan, Holland, Stringer, Horan, Blaney, Hayes, Galwey, O'Driscoll, Quinlan, Wallace, Foley. Replacements: P. Clohessy, Sheahan, O'Connell, Williams, Prendergast, O'Gara, Keane.

Connacht: G. Duffy, Duignan, Yapp, Allnutt, Grennan, Elwood, Ferris, McFarland, Uijs, Bracken, Frost, McConnell, Swift, D. Dillon, Rigney. Replacements: McCormack, Kearns, Browne, Neville, J. O'Connor, Reddan, McHugh.

Referee: Paul Adams (Welsh RFU)