Leinster try blitz as game Munster boys out-muscled
“Physically much stronger than us, from one to 15; very penetrative in midfield, based on their ability to out-muscle us in those areas,” was the blunt assessment of Munster coach Peter Melia.
“Both 12 and 13 (James Power and Luke Fitzgerald) were very good as a partnership for them, very incisive, very penetrative, really cut us open from very early on in the game, from which we never really recovered.
“We gave them a big start, and although we clawed our way back into it before the break, showing great spirit and passion, unfortunately we couldn’t build on that after the turnaround.”
From the kick-off, Munster were on the back foot and gamely though they fought, found themselves 19-0 behind after just 20 minutes, with three tries conceded.
The first of those started with a superb break by the hugely impressive Fitzgerald and the same man was on hand for the touchdown. The second try was again made by a Fitzgerald break, after a pick-up from his toes by out-half Andrew Cumiskey, with powerful flanker Brian Coyle getting the touchdown after carrying the last defender on his back for the final ten metres.
The third Leinster try was pure magic, a superb reverse pass from Cumiskey to the flying Vasya Artemiev completely wrong-footing the Munster defence.
Credit to Munster. It looked like a rout at this stage, but they battled back in the second quarter and were rewarded with two fine tries.
They might have made their mark earlier, but poor handling and a well-organised and hard-tackling Leinster defence had kept them at bay. As it was, on the half-hour a fine break by inside centre Eamonn Broderick brought play to the left corner. The ball was spun to Barry O’Mahony and the Munster captain did well. He had nowhere to go, was blocked front, left and right, but with a superb dummy he made just a sliver of space, sped up the right wing, laid off a perfectly timed pass to Cian Aherne for the try.
Just before the break, scrum-half Paul Rowley went over from a ruck on the Leinster line for a try superbly converted from the left touchline by hooker Gerard Slattery, and Munster were back in the game, 22-12.
Despite Munster’s heroic efforts, the second half was all Leinster, though they scored just one try. Almost inevitably, Fitzgerald made the break for the try, and after a patient multi-phase build-up and some outstanding ball-protection by the Leinster pack and backs alike, number eight Darren O’Reilly had the final say.
Leinster were impressive in all areas: props Cian Healy and Royce Burke-Flynn, bulky yet athletic, were omnipresent for Leinster, Cumiskey conducted affairs to perfection, Power and Fitzgerald were the broadsword and rapier which cut the Munster defence to shreds, and gutsy full-back Brian Collins was safe as houses. On this evidence, Ulster, conquerors of Munster already, will have their work cut out for them.
: B. Collins (Castleknock, 3C 2P, R. Gannon 69); S. Durkin (Terenure), L. Fitzgerald (Blackrock, 1T), J. Power (Blackrock, G. Coffey 69), V. Artemiev (Blackrock, 1T); A. Cumiskey (St. Michael’s, 1DG), R. Viz (Terenure, D. Rowen 69); C. Healy (Belvedere, D. Mahony 55), C. Culliton (Blackrock, E. Mullen 69), R. Burke-Flynn (St. Michael’s, R. Sweeney 65); S. Dunlop (Terenure), C. McInerney (St. Mary’s, capt.); B. Coyle (Clongowes, 1T, K. Sheehan 42), M. Lynch (Blackrock), D. O’Reilly (Blackrock, 1T).
: K. Doyle (CBC); C. Aherne (Crescent, 1T), M. O’Driscoll (Rockwell), E. Broderick (St. Munchin’s, G. Dunne 40), P. Thompson (Rockwell, P. Carroll 40); R. O’Sullivan (Crescent), P. Rowley (St. Munchin’s, 1T, S. Cronin 68); M. O’Leary (PBC, C. O’Donoghue 68), G. Slattery (St. Munchin’s, 1C, S. O’Dwyer 68), A. Cotter (St. Munchin’s); N. Keogh (St. Munchin’s), D. Keogh (CBC); D. Gardiner (St. Munchin’s), B. O’Mahony (Crescent, C. Canning 62), D. Sherry (Ard Scoil Ris, K. Roche 54).
: M. Kilgore (IRFU).
