Munster's strong start fades badly as Leinster come roaring back for bonus-point win

Having led 13-0 at the half-hour mark Clayton McMillan's men were outscored 24-5 the rest of the way as discipline let them down

MIXED EMOTIONS: Charlie Tector celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third try of the BKT United Rugby Championship clash at the Aviva Stadium. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

LEINSTER 24 MUNSTER 18 

Leinster turned the screw to deliver a URC derby day beating to southern rivals Munster in Dublin on Saturday as they came from 13-0 down to score a bonus-point victory.

An all-Ireland international starting line-up showed its class to overcome a bright opening from the visitors, who had taken a deserved lead through a Shane Daly try converted by Charlie O’Shea, who added two penalties. 

Leinster wing Tommy O’Brien began to redress the imbalance with a try six minutes before the interval and his side exerted their dominance with an impressive second-half performance, tries from flanker Ryan Baird, replacement back Charlie Tector and Jamie Osborne delivering the victory for captain Dan Sheehan in his new role as a No.8. 

Munster at least left Aviva Stadium with a losing bonus point for their efforts, rescued by a late try from full-back Ben O’Connor, though first tryscorer Daly left the field on a stretcher after a worrying second-half injury.

Munster had enjoyed the majority of possession and territory in the first half and took a deserved 13-5 lead into the interval.

Academy fly-half O’Shea once again backed the trust shown in him Munster boss Clayton McMillan as he opened the scoring with a penalty on seven minutes and also nailed a 29th-minute penalty from the halfway line having converted left wing Daly’s try just a minute earlier.

The visitors had shown their attacking intent from the first whistle and Daly’s score was a wonderful example of the progress they have made so far this season under the new attack coach partnership of Jared Payne and Mossy Lawler. They struck from a lineout on the left wing, earned as Leinster wing Tommy O’Brien was tackled into touch after fielding a Craig Casey box kick. 

From the set-piece, Munster moved the ball off the top and at speed along the backline before Sean O’Brien straightened to make a line break, the centre passing to the supporting Casey, whose reverse pass found Shane Daly with the full-back running an excellent line to streak clear and score close to the posts.

It took Leinster 34 minutes to trouble the scoreboard and as carefully constructed as Munster’s try had been, the champions’ reply was simplicity itself, executed brilliantly. It came from a five-metre scrum called when referee Andrew Brace had been sucked into a tackle as Leinster threatened the Munster line. 

From the scrum just left of the posts, Jamison Gibson-Park collected the ball and flung a huge pass to the right wing where Tommy O’Brien was free to run in unopposed. Joey Carbery, facing his former province on his first start for his home team after two years in Bordeaux, missed the conversion and Munster went in at half-time with an eight-point lead.

If the opening 40 minutes belonged to Munster, the second half was all Leinster, whose set-piece was the foundation of the home fightback. Ireland and Lions loosehead Andrew Porter finally got the better of Munster tighthead Kieran Brookes and the home pack began to turn the screw. After three consecutive scrum penalties and once being held up short of the line, Leinster got their reward, flanker Ryan Baird crashing over with Carbery converting and getting the added bonus of a yellow card for Munster centre Alex Nankivell on 55 minutes.

The discrepancy in numbers inevitably told as Munster creaked under the pressure. Half-time replacement Charlie Tector, on for wing Jimmy O’Brien who had been withdrawn for a head injury, finished off in acres of space from close range and though Carbery missed the conversion, Leinster were ahead for the first time in the contest, 17-13 after 63 minutes.

When Nankivell returned from the sin bin shortly after, Munster had been held scoreless for 38 minutes at the cost of those 17 points and there was further concern when Daly left on a stretcher after an extensive stoppage for treatment.

There was more misery to come as Leinster scored their fourth, bonus-point try through Jamie Osborne as Gibson-Park hurled another monster pass to the edges after Munster’s goaline defence was stretched to breaking point, this time with a full complement of players. 

The 72nd-minute try not only gained Leinster maximum points, they also climbed above Munster into the top half of the table after four rounds. The visitors though rescued a losing bonus point at the death thanks to a Ben O’Connor try.

LEINSTER: H Keenan; T O’Brien (F Gunne, )69, J Osborne, R Henshaw, J O’Brien (C Tector, ht - HIA); J Carbery (C Gabriel, 75), J Gibson-Park; A Porter (A Usanov, 75), R Kelleher (G McCarthy, 61), T Furlong; (T Clarkson, 61) J McCarthy, J Ryan (C O’Tighearnaigh, 69); R Baird, J van der Flier (S Penny, 67), D Sheehan – captain 

MUNSTER: B O’Connor; S McCarthy, S O’Brien (G Wood, 38 - HIA), A Nankivell, S Daly (C O’Shea, 70); C O’Shea (JJ Hanrahan, 65), C Casey (B O’Donovan, 65); J Wycherley (M Donnelly, 55), M van der Merwe (M Clein, 73), K Brookes (M Ala’alatoa, 60); F Wycherley, T Beirne – captain; J O’Donoghue, A Kendellen (S Edogbo, 57), G Coombes (B Gleeson, 57).

Yellow card: A Nankivell 55-67 

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)