Festive revenge so sweet for Leinster but Munster have only themselves to blame

The provinces shared a try apiece in an attritional battle in Limerick, Josh van der Flier scoring after just six minutes and Munster replacement Dan Kelly replying late on, but the visitors held on for a 13-8 win

TOUGH ONE: Tadhg Beirne of Munster after the United Rugby Championship match between Munster and Leinster at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

URC: Munster 8 Leinster 13

Leinster exacted revenge for their derby URC defeat at Croke Park 10 weeks earlier as they held on for victory at a sold-out Thomond Park on Saturday night but Munster only had themselves to blame for missing out on a first league double over their rivals since 2014-15.

The provinces shared a try apiece in a hard-fought attritional battle in Limerick, Leinster’s Josh van der Flier scoring after just six minutes and Munster replacement Dan Kelly replying 10 minutes from time. The difference on the scoreboard however came from the kicking tee as Harry Byrne kicked a conversion and two penalties while Munster’s Jack Crowley kicked one penalty and missed his conversion opportunity.

There were also missed try-scoring opportunities for Clayton McMillan’s side that contributed to Leinster’s winning streak in Limerick since 2018 continuing for another year. Munster must now regroup for a trip to Belfast to take on Ulster in seven days if they are to maintain their place in the top four of the URC standings, with Leinster now just four points behind them.

Munster had been forced into a late change to their starting line-up when Calvin Nash was withdrawn due to illness, a development which saw Shane Daly revert from full-back to the right wing and Mike Haley restored to the number 15 jersey, having been initially omitted form the matchday squad when the 23 were named by McMillan on Wednesday.

The enforced change had little to do with Munster’s poor start, the concession of back-to-back penalties from Crowley’s kick-off allowing Leinster entry into the home 22, and the visitors would not leave without a converted try on six minutes.

It had come despite a Munster turnover as Edwin Edogbo and Gavin Coombes' choke tackle on van der Flier earned a scrum, only for Leinster to get the better of Munster’s front-row trio of former packmates, Michael Milne, Lee Barron and Michael Ala’alatoa.

Harry Byrne kicked to the corner and from the five-metre lineout, van der Flier peeled off the resulting drive to score the first and only try of the first half, his fly-half converting.

Leinster’s scrum dominance continued throughout the opening 40 minutes but Munster’s problems extended to poor execution on their own entries to the opposition 22. A ninth-minute ruck penalty against the champions was marched back 10 metres as Jamison Gibson-Park argued his case for retreating with ball in hand but the resulting lineout and maul from five metres ended with a Leinster scrum. And two minutes later, another Munster ruck penalty came to nothing when Crowley kicked his touchfinder long.

Leinster’s high-tempo linespeed was also proving tough to negotiate and though they failed to add to their 7-0 lead before the interval, their defence dealt comfortably with Munster’s attacking forays.

The onset of the second half did bring some joy for Munster as the forwards won a scrum penalty on 47 minutes but it was followed by three points at the other end from Byrne’s boot six minutes later. The home side’s first points of the night finally came a minute later in the 54th as Leinster were penalised on the edge of their 22 when replacement prop Paddy McCarthy played number nine Craig Casey, Crowley kicking the three pointer. Tet Munster conceded another penalty as Byrne restored his side’s lead to 13-3 on 58 minutes.

The final quarter saw a shift in momentum back to Munster, whose lengthy spell inside the Leinster 22 was rewarded with a try for replacement centre Kelly after multi-phase possession eventually stretched the visitors' defences. The try put Munster within touching distance at 13-8 with 10 minutes remaining but Crowley’s conversion was missed and the home side still needed another try for victory.

It looked as if Leinster were managing the game superbly in the final minutes as they held possession inside the opposition half but a maul turnover and scrum gave the home supporters in the 26,006 crowd hope with a minute to go. 

Munster got the ball away and Alex Nankivell, playing as a winger since Kelly’s introduction, carried into the Leinster half and earned a ruck penalty in contact. Crowley kicked the penalty to right touch and from the lineout inside the 22 and with the clock past 80 Munster built patiently though the phases as the tension mounted in the stands, only for the ball to be knocked out of Crowley’s hands by a thundering Rieko Ioane tackle. 

The ball found its way back to Harry Byrne who gratefully kicked to touch. Leinster were off the hook and Munster were left to wonder what might have been.

MUNSTER: M Haley; S Daly, T Farrell, A Nankivell, T Abrahams (D Kelly, 56); J Crowley, C Casey (P Patterson, 71); M Milne (J Loughman, 55), L Barron (D Barron, 55), M Ala’alatoa (J Ryan, 55); E Edogbo (J Kleyn, 49), T Ahern (F Wycherley, 66); T Beirne – captain (J O’Donoghue, 74), J O’Donoghue (J Hodnett, 66), G Coombes.

LEINSTER: C Frawley; T O’Brien (A Osborne, 77), R Ioane, R Henshaw (C Tector, 34), J Lowe, H Byrne, J Gibson-Park (F Gunne, 74); A Porter (P McCarthy, 48), R Kelleher (J McKee, 67), T Clarkson (T Furlong, 48); J McCarthy, J Ryan; M Deegan, J van der Flier (S Penny, 73), C Doris -captain. Replacement not used: D Mangan.

Referee: Peter Martin (IRFU)