LIVEMunster v Leinster, United Rugby Championship, live minute-by-minute updates
Andrew Porter of Leinster is tackled by Munster's Lee Barron and Tadhg Beirne during the URC match at Thomond Park. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
John Ryan is on now for his 250th appearance in the red jersey. What an achievement!
And Jack Crowley makes it a seven-point game again with a penalty for the hosts after at least two Leinster players are caught offside at the ruck on the restart. It's 10-3.
Harry Byrne kicks the penalty and it's now 10-0 to Leinster.
Harry Byrne kicks Munster deep into their own 22 and then Munster struggle at their lineout put-in before Craig Casey kicks. Another penalty to Leinster and there's a sense of a screw being turned here now.
Both sides firing up their benches now.
Penalty for Munster at the scrum on their own put-in. And Tadhg Furlong replaces Tom Clarkson at tighthead seconds later.
The second-half has NOT hit the ground running. The physical side of things hasn't been lacking this evening but we need a spark from somewhere here.
Speaking of forward passes, Harry Byrne just gave one to Rieko Ioane on the brink of the Munster 22 that even a dyed-in-the-wool Leinster fan couldn't ignore but no reaction from the ref. Munster get through it, turn it over and clear their lines.
The second-half is underway...
What a superb shot of the pre-game this is by Sportsfile's Piaras Ó Mídheach!
Grab a cuppa for a bit, or you could read John Fallon's account of Ulster's win in Galway earlier on today.
Official attendance is a 26,006 sellout.
That's it for the first period. Lots of promise but most of it unfulfilled. Too many penalties - 14 shared evenly - and scrums. It's hard not to see two teams still searching for the best of themselves.
Leinster have had the better of the possession and slightly the better of the territory. Their scrum has been on top at times too but they've coughed up two lineouts as well.
Munster think they're off into the Leinster 22 with open acres in front of them but the ref blows it back for a forward pass against ... I'm going to say Alex Nankivell. Pity. And very marginal!
The officials go off to a chorus of boos.
Gibson-Park skews a kick on the run into the sideline terracing. Not something you see too often.
Munster clear their lines and their 22 again but give away their own penalty straight away just inside the Leinster half. The last 20 minutes hasn't been great, to be fair.
Charlie Tector is in for Robbie Henshaw at inside-centre. Tector has played most of his rugby at 12 this season.
Leinster deep in Munster's 22 now as we get closer to half-time. A big few minutes to come here.
Tadhg Beirne wins a penalty on the poach at the breakdown. What's new, says you.
Bit of a pile-in there as Harry Byrne tackles Craig Casey and is then held on the ground off the ball by Jack O'Donoghue. Cue the crowd's roars... And a penalty for Leinster.
Munster have plenty of ball now and look slick at times but with the odd pass just going to ground holding them back.
Leinster could probably say the same, tbf
Andrew Porter is back from injury tonight and announces himself with a big tackle on Tom Farrell, lifting the Munsterman off his feet and lifting him over the horizontal. Penalty, says the ref.
That opening Leinster try...
🔵@leinsterrugby lead in Limerick 👀
— Premier Sports Ireland (@PremSportsIRL) December 27, 2025
Josh Van Der Flier unlocks the Munster defense to put his side ahead! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/RAqrDj8l0n
Rieko Ioane looks dangerous every time he gets on the ball, which has been often tonight. Nearly slipping through every time.
Frawley then repays the favour with two superb sprint-from-the-line tackles on Mike Haley. This one is bubbling up nicely.
Shane Daly has just levelled Ciaran Frawley with a brilliant tackle then kicked Munster through to the Leinster 22. I've just heard 26,000 people wince at the same time!
Jack Crowley kicks a penalty too long after a high tackle by Max Deegan on Thaakir Abrahams and it goes into the Leinster in-goal area. Not good.
Sublime clearing kick off the back of the scrum by Gibson-Park
The first argy bargy. Jamison Gibson-Park walks off with the ball after Rieko Ioane coughs up a penalty and Jack Crowley grabs Ronan Kelleher by the scruff. Frenemies, eh?
Munster's first attack comes up short, though, referee Peter Martin penalises them at their own attacking maul near the Leinster try line.
Van der Flier peels off from the back of the lineout/maul and bundles over. Very easy. Far too easy from Munster's point of view.
Harry Byrne lands the extras. It's 7-0.
First scrum, Munster's put-in and ... it's a penalty for Leinster
What a start! Really good attacking rugby by Leinster in the 22, good skills and using the width well, but Munster defend their keep and eventually earn a penalty at another ruck for a knock-on by Josh van der Flier.
Leinster took the kick-off and are now in the Munster 22 after a couple of early Munster infringements. Promising.
Time to play some rugby! Well, to watch it in our case. Leinster booed on. Season of goodwill!?!
Your Leinster team and squad for the evening...
Let's go! 💪
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) December 24, 2025
This is the Leinster Rugby team that will take on Munster in Thomond Park on Saturday evening. 💥 #NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/d17FiQXwvP
No Sam Prendergast/Jack Crowley showdown tonight. Harry Byrne starts at No.10 for the boys in blue. Byrne has started some big games lately, prompting talk of a two-horse race for the jersey at Leinster.
Impress here tonight and we could be chattering about a three-horse race for the Ireland spot.
Also worth noting again that Munster have gone with a 6-2 split on the bench.
A reminder of your Munster XV and 23 this evening with John Ryan set to earn his 250th cap off the bench...
Your Munster team for the sold-out #URC Interpro derby at Thomond Park on Saturday, December 27 🔥
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) December 24, 2025
John Ryan will become just the 3rd player to reach the 250-cap landmark for Munster 💪
See full team news: https://t.co/pAI9EARdtf#SUAF 🔴 | #MUNvLEI pic.twitter.com/4qljBDHOWo
Ulster have just squeaked home against Connacht in Galway. Richie Murphy's team held a big lead but were pegged back before a Jack Murphy penalty sealed it in injury-time. The final score there was 29-24.
A bonus-point win for the visitors, a losing point for the hosts.
Cold night in Limerick but not too windy and ne'er a spit of rain to be seen. Great conditions for a game of rugby.
Leinster's Ronan Kelleher also spoke this week. He gave an interesting response when asked about Munster's gleeful celebrations at full-time in Croke Park, and Gavin Coombes smile as the Munster man left the field late on due to a yellow card.
“Yes, they were all noted," Kelleher said. "Obviously, we all saw the video of Coombesy running off. To be fair, from their perspective, they were within their rights. They beat us on the day. They mugged us and they were in their rights to celebrate.
“From our perspective, we just [have to] make sure that doesn't happen again.” Leinster’s win-loss ratio in this fixture in the last ten years stands at 21-5.
“I will say, in them games they've always been very close, hard-fought,” said the Ireland hooker. “The intensity is right up there and it's one that we never take lightly. That all adds to the disappointment that was Croke Park. It's just making sure that we right those wrongs and make sure that we're on the right side of the result this weekend."
There is one change to the Munster team. Calvin Nash drops out due to illness, Shane Daly moves to 14 and Mike Haley starts at 15.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage this evening from Limerick.
The burger vans smell amazing, the band is banging out the music and the bars are ding a roaring trade. We've packed our winter woolies and had the traditional Munster press room burrito, so everything is set here for a jam-packed couple of hours watching a red-hot interpro.
Leinster have won their last six games against Munster on this ground so the hosts will be eager to stop that rot, just as they claimed a rare win against Leo Cullen's men in Croke Park back in October.
Simon Lewis spoke to Clayton McMillan about poking the bear earlier this week.
Yes, it's Christmas, but Simon has been a busy boy this week when he hasn't been buying pressies and eating mince pies. You can read his big match preview by clicking heretarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> while I chatted with Jacques Nienaber about his take on the clash having seen it from the red and the blue sides.
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