A star is born at Munster as 20-year-old bags 16 points and the Man of the Match award

A star is born at Munster...and it was his starting debut!

Academy out-half Charlie O'Shea, 20 years-of-age, bagged 16 points and the Man of the Match award in a 26-22 win over Bulls in Limerick.

This had come from a long week for the Reds, taking a buffeting from Peter O'Mahony's well-aimed criticisms and CEO Ian Flanagan announcing he was standing down.

There was even a slipshod start to the game as the Munster lost Michael Milne to injury and fell 0-7 behind in the first 15 minutes.

Diarmuid Kilgallon crossed to level the scores before the sides swapped tries, with O'Shea scoring for Munster in the run to half-time.

The visitors went ahead again with a penalty after the restart but O'Shea bagged another try before the hour.

Alex Kendellen managed a powerful, solo try to give Munster a decent cushion although an unconverted Bulls try led to six minutes of jeopardy at the close.

"Charlie was phenomenal," said Munster coach Clayton McMillan afterwards. "You don't want to blow too much smoke up his backside, it's the early days.

"But he's had a couple of runs now and he's taken to it like a duck to water.

"There was a lot of confidence for a young man but it comes from doing the homework during the week and getting over what he knows the team needs him to do.

"He's done that with aplomb but it was also good to see JJ Hanrahan come on (with 12 minutes to go) and who's at the other end of his career.

"He put in two or three kicks that were pretty vital to put them on their back fence and they had to work their way out of the game late, so those things were pleasing."

Leinster were, for the second season running, tasked with opening their URC campaign with back-to-back matches in South Africa.

They lost both last season (35-0 to Stormers and 39-31 to Bulls) but were quantifiably better this time around gaining three match points.

They earned two points from the opening weekend (27-26 with Lions) before a late Andrew Osborne try secured a further point from a 26-20 defeat to Sharks.

Leinster's next two URC fixtures are at home to Cardiff and Munster.

Ulster didn't quite manage a first win but came away with three match points from a 33-33 draw in Glasgow - which can be catalogued as an achievement.

Both sides scored five tries Bryn Ward, Ethan McIlroy, Jack Murphy, Chay Mullins and Juarno Augustus crossing for the northern province.

But it was a game defined by yellow cards: Glasgow's Dan Lancaster (19'), Ulster's Ben Carson (50'), McIlroy (52'), followed by Glasgow's Rory Darge (70') and Sam Talakai's (72').

The home were down to 13 men with eight minutes to defend a 33-26 lead and from where a 73rd minute Augustus try and Nathan Doak conversion levelled the game.

However it was Glasgow who had the best chance to win with a penalty attempt. But George Horne's came back off the post.Connacht played on Friday night at Benetton and picked up a worthy bonus-point win thanks to Cian Prendergast, Sean O'Brien and a Ciaran Frawley brace.

The second of Frawley's two, finishing off a move with a dash down the left wing, was much needed and came three minutes from time.

Meanwhile Ireland womens' team were completing their second win in two weeks over Japan, the action having moved from Galway to Cork.

Ireland's 43-19 win had seven green touchdowns Eilis Cahill, Brittany Hogan, Neve Jones, Anna McGann, Beibhinn Parsons, Alana McInerney and Sophie Barrett registering tries. Beibhinn Parson was voted Player of the Match.

Scott Bemand's squad move on from here to a two-Test tour to South Africa and WXV games against South Africa on October 24th and 31st. Both games will be played in Cape Town.