Thomond Park duel between Munster and Leinster a sell-out

With the sold out signs going up at Thomond Park, Billy Holland did not need to stoke the fires underneath Munster’s St Stephen’s Day showdown with Leinster.

The Guinness PRO12 leaders welcome their second-placed rivals to Limerick next Monday for a game that yesterday became a league-record 26,200 sell-out for the province, surpassing the 2011 final between the two sides, played in front of 26,100.

Munster had added temporary seating at both ends of the ground to increase capacity beyond the normal 25,600 limit and for second-row Holland it is a game that needed no hard sell, regardless of Leinster’s 25-14 victory over their southern neighbours in October.