Leinster 26
Munster 12
IF LEINSTER’S 2009 defeat of Munster at Croke Park signalled a changing of the guard, today’s repeat served as a reminder of how far the balance of power has shifted in the years since.
This remains a healthy rivalry, evidenced by the 80,000 spectators who put their hand in their pocket for a ticket to this round four URC game, but Leinster’s wealth of international talent proved too much for a Munster team stripped of a handful of key men.
The stage was bigger but the script had a familiar feel, Leinster quickly stacking up a bank of points before taking their foot off the gas to see the game out. Leo Cullen and his coaches will be able to pick holes from a second-half performance in which they failed to score any points, but their opening 40 in Drumcondra was scintillating.
Across a dominant first period, James Lowe, Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan and RG Snyman all scored tries to put the result quickly beyond doubt. Munster scored one try in each half through Sean O’Brien and Mike Haley.
Doris was outstanding for Leinster, while Jamison Gibson-Park’s energy provided the power to their clinical start. Ciarán Frawley had a strong game at 10 before his influence faded in a forgettable second half, Tadhg Furlong had some big moments in the scrum and Jamie Osborne had some smart touches in the Leinster midfield.
The opening quarter brought the best rugby Leinster have pieced together so far this season, and with 15 minutes on the clock Leo Cullen’s team had blitzed Munster for three tries as wave after wave of blue attack crashed into the Canal end of the ground.
The first came after just four minutes and was Leinster at their ruthless, clinical best. First Doris stole in to turnover Stephen Archer. Frawley sent his team to the corner and Snyman won the lineout, triggering a sharp Leinster attack. Frawley threatened the line but hit a red wall, so in stepped Gibson-Park to send a trademark looping pass out to the Lowe zone, with the winger on hand to collect the gift and step over in the corner. Frawley made the most of the score by nailing an excellent conversion from the sideline.
Munster desperately needed some calm, but were instead hit with disruption. As Leinster were busy running in scores, Rowntree’s men saw John Ryan come in for a bloodied Jeremy Loughman after Niall Scannell left for a HIA which saw Diarmuid Barron enter the action only to shortly make way for Kieran Ryan, who only lasted a few minutes before Scannell resumed his place and Ryan had returned to the bench. Even the stadium announcer became confused.
As all that was happening, Barron threw into a Munster lineout that looed out to sea, the ball sailed over his teammates and bouncing into no-man’s land. Leinster pounced. Lowe roved off his wing to get involved before Liam Turner had the tryline in his sights. Munster survived the first hit, but Leinster worked the ball inside and Doris scored at the foot of the post, with Frawley tapping over the extras.
Their third was a sweet attacking move after Lowe got in to win a penalty on the ground. From the second attempt at the lineout, Jack Conan bundled out with the ball before it quickly moved through the hands of Jamie Osborne, Frawley and Keenan, with the fullback finishing the move. Fifteen played, 21 points scored.
In the middle of the chaos, Snyman strut the turf reminding Munster of what they were missing. The big South African’s name had been met with a smattering of boos from some Munster supporters before kick-off. Nothing he wouldn’t have expected. After shrugging off an early penalty concession, Snyman took control of the Croke Park skies, needing only one hand to claim lineouts with the air of a man plucking apples from a tree.
His second row partner, James Ryan, took charge of spoiling Munster lineout, stealing two throws in the opening quarter.
Munster were struggling to find any way into the contest. When Jack Crowley saw a 17th-minute penalty attempt fall short against the crossbar, it was looking like being one of those days.
Yet the visitors stuck at their task, trying to play the incisive, attacking rugby Mike Prendergast has drilled into them. It threatened to pay off. Tom Farrell carved a hole down the middle of the pitch before linking smartly with Craig Casey and Alex Nankivell, only for Sean O’Brien to run out of space and options out wide as Leinster scrambled back to smother the flames.
From the next play, Munster did get over, Calvin Nash stepping Gibson-Park in the corner only to quickly be told the final pass from Nankivell had been forward. That error, 25 minutes in, provided the first scrum of the game. In the corner where Hill 16 meets the Cusack Stand, Furlong got a big shove going and the Munster scrum popped up. Penalty Leinster, Munster sent trudging back to their own half.
Munster won a scrum penalty of their own half an hour in and went back to the Leinster 22. A Gibson-Park knock-on saw the packs scrum down again. Leinster wheeled, and Munster were back setting up another lineout. Scannell sent the ball to Jean Kleyn at the back and Gavin Coombes passed the parcel to Sean O’Brien, who finished a clever strike play. Crowley should have added the conversion, but skied his kick wide to the right.
Munster were battling hard but struggling to deal with Leinster’s power and precision. With half time approaching, Leinster added the bonus-point score. From a penalty in the Munster 22, Cullen’s men opted for a tap-and-go which ended with Snyman stretching his long limbs over Casey and Archer. Frawley’s conversion attempt was off-target, but Leinster went back under the Hogan Stand with a 21-point lead at the break.
The good news for Munster was that Leinster’s pace dropped after the restart. Yet still, they found themselves pounding their head against the wall.
Max Deegan added his name to the list of Leinster players stealing Munster lineouts before John Hodnett failed to take advantage of an overlap on his right shoulder.
There was almost 60 minutes on the clock before Munster looked like scoring again. Two of their bright sparks, Farrell and Nankivell, punched a hole to carry Munster into the 22 before the play broke down. At the next scrum, Furlong lumped Munster back and under pressure, Nankivell was gobbled up by Jamie Osborne, leading to a Leinster turnover.
Their second try came five minutes later from the most unlikely of sources, following an excellent break from Conor Murray. With options limited in the face of sea of blue jerseys, Gavin Coombes poked a kick through and invited his teammates to chase. Mike Haley won the race and Crowley converted.
Leinster saw the game home at a canter.
Twice the tee came out, and twice the points were left behind – Ross Byrne dropping a long-range penalty attempt wide and Frawley smacking one off the post from even further out.
Leinster can be better, but that strong start was enough to ensure their big day out in Croker went off without a hitch.
Leinster scorers:
Tries – Lowe, Doris, Keenan, Snyman
Penalties – R Byrne [0/1]
Conversions – Frawley [3/4]
Munster scorers:
Tries – O’Brien, Coombes
Penalties – Crowley [0/1]
Conversions – Crowley [1/2]
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Liam Turner (Ross Byrne, 69), Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe (Harry Byrne, 76); Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park (Luke McGrath, 69); Andrew Porter, Lee Barron (Gus McCarthy, HT), Tadhg Furlong (Cian Healy, 66); RG Snyman (Ryan Baird, 50 (Thomas Clarkson 52 HIA)), James Ryan; Jack Conan (Max Deegan, 20), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell (Tony Butler, 74), Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (Conor Murray, 59); Jeremy Loughman (John Ryan, 13-23 blood, 52) Kieran Ryan 75 HIA), Niall Scannell (Diarmuid Barron, 8-18 HIA), Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn (Tom Ahern, 50), Tadhg Beirne (capt); Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett (Gavin Coombes 59-69 HIA), Gavin Coombes (Ruadhán Quinn, 55).
Referee: Chris Busby [IRFU].
Attendance: 80,468
