Munster back on the charge

THE bragging rights are back in the south after Munster secured a deserved Magners League victory over arch rivals Leinster at a packed RDS last night.

The bitter memories of a double defeat last season were put to rest as the Heineken Cup champions enhanced this season’s unbeaten record and cut the Ospreys’ lead at the top of the table to a point, with a game in hand. A fortnight before the start of a new European campaign, it’s all systems go for the holders.

Two tries and 12 points in the last nine minutes put a rather flattering look on this scoreline, but there can be no denying the better side won a match that never quite hit the level expected by the fans.

But it was a typical derby, a game full of passion and intensity. The battle raged up front from the off, with Leinster seeking to emulate last year’s effort by taking on and defeating the Munster pack. Yet despite the presence, and the high workrate, of South African and Australian stars CJ Van Der Linde and Rocky Elsom, it didn’t pay dividends.

Leinster coach Michael Cheika admitted: “This is a quality Munster side; they’re not champions of Europe for nothing and they showed that. They’re getting better and we must now know we have to get better too.”

Munster counterpart Tony McGahan was delighted but played it down: “We’ll take it; it was very satisfying to come here and win. It was never easy but it was deserved, I felt.”

Few would disagree. This Munster pack, led from the front by Paul O’Connell, just weren’t in the mood to be trifled with, despite having some occasional difficulties in the line out and the scrum.

There was never much room for either team out wide but Munster did pose more danger, mainly through the menacing presence and elusive running of Lifeimi Mafi and Doug Howlett. Eventually, that persistence paid off and defensively, they yielded nothing, prompting McGahan to comment: “It’s always a good day when you keep a team scoreless.”

But if Munster led 3-0 at the midway point of the opening half, it was a remarkable feat, given that Felipe Contepomi had scorned three eminently kickable penalties in quick succession, after the opening chance fell to O’Gara who sent a drop goal attempt narrowly wide.

Following Contepomi’s unusual lapses, Munster picked up the tempo, and were foiled of a try at the corner when O’Gara’s grubber beat Jerry Flannery to the touchline, but they applied enough pressure for Leinster to willingly concede a penalty rather than allow the line be breached. O’Gara duly obliged with the opening score.

Munster responded by cranking up the pressure, but got no further as Leinster put their trust on a well organised defence to steer out of trouble. As the half wound down, play became more fragmented as both sides displayed a willingness to create, but only succeeded in increasing the error count.

Munster will be happy that the second half took the same pattern as the first. Leinster started strongly only to yield field position and control again. As the Munster pack took their performance to a higher level, O’Gara kicked a second penalty midway through the half. The score came as Munster drove forward in search of a try and Leinster had little option but to concede the kick.

It remained a tight, tense competitive contest until Munster finally pulled clear with a try of exceptional quality from number eight Justin Melck.

The try came from a Munster counter-attack, with Keith Earls given his first clear taste of space for the evening. He was hauled down near the Leinster 22-metre line but managed to pop a pass up for the supporting Melck, before the South African took off and weaved his way past and through three tackles to get in for the score.

That 11-point advantage was enough because Munster continued to dominate territory, with the pack keeping it tight and O’Gara kicking astutely. Then, out of the blue, as the blue wall of the Leinster defence fanned across the pitch, O’Gara changed tack, chipped a diagonal kick through and Howlett was first to react. He dived on the ball to secure possession and turned over to get the touchdown for a try that the out half converted to send Munster home in happy mood.

lMunster ‘s Jerry Flannery and John Hayes are both expected to be fit for next week’s Magners League clash with Glasgow at Thomond Park. Flannery (hand) and Hayes (shoulder) both retired with injuries at the RDS last night, but Munster coach Tony McGahan said he expects both to fully recover within 48 hours.

LEINSTER: G. Dempsey, S. Horgan, B. O’Driscoll, F. Contepomi, L. Fitzgerald, J. Sexton, C. Whitaker, R. McCormack, B. Jackman, CJ Van Der Linde, L. Cullen (captain), M. O’Kelly, R. Elsom, J. Heaslip, S. Jennings.

Replacements: S. Wright for McCormack (40), R. Kearney for Horgan (58), T. Hogan for O’Kelly (71).

MUNSTER: K. Earls, D. Howlett, R. Tipoki, L. Mafi, I. Dowling, R. O’Gara, T. O’Leary, M. Horan, J. Flannery, J. Hayes, P. O’Connell (captain), D. O’Callaghan, D. Ryan, J. Melck, D. Wallace.

Replacements: F. Sheahan for Flannery (55, Injured), A. Quinlan for Ryan (57), F. Pucciariello for Referee: S. McDowell (Ulster).