WITH CROKE PARK set to host a sell-out crowd of 82,300 people tomorrow, you can just imagine the clamour if and when Munster and Leinster get stuck into each other.
Long gone are the days when punches were thrown and studs left marks all over players’ backs, but there is still lots of room for push-and-shove and a few choice words.
Some people genuinely don’t like to see it but the reality is that most supporters enjoy watching their team’s passion on display in these moments.
Schemozzles have increasingly become part of the Leinster v Munster rivalry again in the last couple of seasons as the southern province have challenged the status quo. Their URC semi-final win in Dublin in 2023 was followed up by two intense battles last season, with Leinster pipping them twice.
That has helped ensure the fire still burns bright when these players meet.
“It’s pretty mutual I’m sure,” says Leinster wing James Lowe, who has thoroughly embraced the rivalry since arriving from New Zealand in 2017.
“You don’t like losing against Munster. It’s always a big week no matter where and when you play them but obviously, playing at Croker against Munster is pretty significant on both fronts so it’s something we are looking forward to.
“To be involved with Leinster with a rivalry that I have sort of inherited is pretty exciting, It’s something that I seriously look forward to.
“And there’s a mutual hatred between the boys. As much as I love to see them succeed and I play with a lot of them, you know, when it comes to it, if Casey is in front of me, I don’t care. If Calvin’s in front of me, don’t care.
“And I’m sure they’re saying the exact same thing on the other side. But at the end of the day, we will shake hands and hopefully see each other in November.
“It’s just a red and a blue jumper and when it comes to playing against each other, we don’t like each other.
“There is Sexto and ROG, they didn’t like each other, thought that was quite funny. They were in different jumpers. So look, we’re looking forward to it, that’s for sure.”
Croke Park was the scene for the most famous derby between these sides back in 2009 when Leinster turned the rivalry on its head by beating two-time European champions Munster in their Heineken Cup semi-final.
“You know, the last time they played they were probably the big brother in Croke Park,” says Lowe when it’s suggested that Munster and Leinster are like brothers in that they batter each other despite the close connection.
“And you can say the tides are turned if you really want to put it like that. So we are looking forward to it and it’s going to be a good step up.
“Nothing against Treviso on the weekend, they’ve got internationals all throughout but we were able to put into performance in that first half and we controlled the game very, very well.
“And this Saturday we know we’re going to have to step it up again if we want to put a score on Munster.”
Ciarán Frawley is expected to continue in Leinster’s number 10 shirt tomorrow after starting there last weekend against Benetton.
It will be a big day for him opposite Jack Crowley, the incumbent in Ireland’s number 10 jersey.
“He was good at the weekend,” says Lowe of Frawley. “In the lead-up to that, he was awesome as well. He’s got a good head on him.
“He controlled the game well, put us in the right areas, and was telling us what to do and when to do it. He’s going well, a bit more work on his plate now that he’s got to tell us what to do but he’s going well and fitting into that 10 role.”
And there will be plenty of attention on RG Snyman, who made the move from Munster to Leinster during the summer.
After four injury-blighted years with the southern province, Snyman will be hoping for a clear run of fitness in blue this season.
“I haven’t been on the back of him yet but I will be whenever he takes it to the line,” says Lowe. “There’s a high opportunity he’s going to poke his nose through and play in behind. He’s an incredibly nice guy, not that I ever thought he wasn’t, he just wore the wrong jersey.
“He’s very professional, gets across his work. I think he was calling the lineouts last week, not that it means anything to me, but our lineout went well and he was calling it.
“He’s a crazy good athlete, he’s obviously physically larger than life and he played very well for the 50-odd minutes that he played. Hopefully, we can keep him injury-free and play out a whole season, that would be nice for us.”
- This article was updated at 10.28am to correct ‘Croke Part’ to ‘Croke Park’ in the opening paragraph.
