[6] In player news, Munster's marquee signing ahead of the commencement of the season was centre Malakai Fekitoa, who won the 2015 Rugby World Cup with New Zealand before reverting his international allegiance to his native Tonga.
[11] Six players joined year one of Munster's academy programme ahead of the season: props Darragh McSweeney and Kieran Ryan, lock Evan O'Connell, back-row Ruadhán Quinn, scrum-half Jack Oliver and centre Fionn Gibbons.
[19] Centre Alex McHenry and back-three Seán French left the province to join English Championship clubs Jersey Reds[20] and Bedford Blues[21] respectively, whilst scrum-half Rowan Osborne and academy back-three Jonathan Wren were both forced to retire due to injury,[22] and South African world cup-winning centre Damian de Allende returned to Japanese domestic rugby with Saitama Wild Knights.
[31] After a mounting number of injuries sustained prior to round seven of the United Rugby Championship, prop John Ryan returned to the province to provide tighthead prop cover on a three-month contract, having been made redundant following Wasps administration, Irish-qualified centre Oli Morris joined for the remainder of the season following Worcester Warriors administration,[32] and lock Kiran McDonald joined on a three-month contract having also been made redundant at Wasps.
Winger Shane Daly opened the scoring in just the 2nd minute, with fly-half Ben Healy converting to give the home side a 7–0 lead.
Munster struck early in the second-half, with fullback Mike Haley scoring after just two minutes and Healy's fourth conversion of the night extending their lead to 28–7.
South Africa scored their second try in the 62nd minute when Sikhumbuzo Notshe crossed the try-line, converted by Gianni Lombard, but the visitors were unable to mount a comeback and Munster hung on to earn a famous win.
Number eight Gavin Coombes opened the scoring for Munster with a 13th minute try converted by fly-half Joey Carbery, before the home side got on the scoreboard with a 19th-minute penalty.
Munster had three players sin-binned during the second-half: Jack O'Donoghue, Craig Casey and Joey Carbery, and needed the aforementioned defensive effort to keep Northampton from narrowing the score and earn a hard-fought victory on the road.
Flanker John Hodnett got Munster on the scoreboard with an unconverted 30th minute try, before a penalty from fly-half Joey Carbery saw the teams head into half-time with the score at 11–8.
A superb team try finished by lock Tadhg Beirne in the 48th minute, again unconverted, gave Munster a slender 13–11 lead, but three second-half penalties from Toulouse fullback Melvyn Jaminet secured a closely-fought 20–16 win for the hosts.
[41] The hosts opened the scoring with an early penalty from Curwin Bosch, but Munster hit back with a try from Shane Daly, converted by Jack Crowley, to take the lead.
Munster managed three further tries from Diarmuid Barron, Mike Haley and Fineen Wycherley, but with the scoreboard and time against them, the result was beyond doubt and the Sharks advanced to the quarter-finals.
[42] A 26–24 win against defending champions the Stormers[43] and a 22–22 draw against the Sharks in Munster's final two fixtures of the regular 2022–23 United Rugby Championship season, both away from home, secured fifth place for the province in the league table,[44] and they defeated Glasgow Warriors 14–5 away in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final away to Leinster,[45] whom Munster defeated 16–15 thanks to a late drop goal from Jack Crowley, setting up a final away to the Stormers on 27 May 2023,[46] which Munster won 19–14 thanks to a late John Hodnett try to secure their fourth league title, their first trophy since the 2010–11 season and the first silverware of head coach Graham Rowntree's reign.