URC: Munster 8 Leinster 13
There are few things like a Thomond Park crowd which smells blood. For the first time in a while, this festive interpro lived up to its billing. At least in terms of physicality and niggle.
Granted, one try apiece should tell you all that is required on the attacking quality on display. Leinster’s score came via the maul, Munster’s thanks to a fortuitous bounce off an onrushing defender.
In a scrappy affair, Leinster ultimately had the superior forward pack, player of the match Josh van der Flier excelling alongside Joe McCarthy and Caelan Doris. They proved to be the difference.
Early doors, the players did their bit to add to the Thomond fervour. Andrew Porter was pinged for lifting Tom Farrell beyond the horizontal. Jamison Gibson-Park was marched back 10 for refusing to relinquish the ball after a penalty. Jack Crowley told Caelan Doris where to go when he attempted a protest to referee Peter Martin.
Add to that a scuffle between Jack O’Donoghue and Robbie Henshaw. Harry Byrne and Craig Casey even had a big collision of their own. For the first time in a long time, this had the smell of one of the old Thomond interpro nights.
Leinster’s initial foray forward was ended by good old physicality, Edwin Edogbo and Gavin Coombes stopping Josh van der Flier in his tracks. Michael Ala’alatoa cleverly added his help, holding the Irish openside’s knees off the deck, creating a maul and a scrum turnover. Thomond reacted accordingly.
Leinster’s Joe McCarthy and Munster’s Edwin Edogbo and Tom Ahern. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
That first scrum quickly changed the momentum. Ala’alatoa was adjudged to have collapsed under pressure from Andrew Porter, a theme of the opening half. Leinster turned down the points and went to the corner, van der Flier benefiting once the maul rumbled over.
That was to be the lone score of a first half laden with intensity but shy of attacking quality. For all their frustration at failing to capitalise on a number of strikes which broke the gain line – Rieko Ioane just couldn’t find his killer pass – Leinster will have been satisfied with how they shut the door on Munster. Three times in the first half Frawley came flying out of the line, three times he hit Haley behind the gain line to shut down an opportunity.
The closest Munster came to causing a breach was right on the stroke of half-time. Alex Nankivell’s long pass looked to be a beauty, carving things open for Haley and Daly. Not according to referee Martin, forward pass called with the clock in the red.
Before that, McCarthy, Kelleher and Doris were prominent in holding up a maul five metres from their own line. Later on, McCarthy repeated the dose, forcing Munster to play away. Doris then counter-rucked effectively, Leinster’s heavies relishing the extra edge of this particular contest.
It should be said that Edogbo, playing with a heavily strapped left leg, gave as good as he got. Ala’alatoa was also busy in defence, while Tadhg Beirne did his bit when disrupting the breakdown, an area of the game which was allowed to descend into chaos.
Given the starting line-ups, a narky, physical affair favoured Leinster. Yet not on the bench, Leo Cullen’s side lacking the heft of a Sheehan or Snyman to call upon. Not to mention Munster’s 6:2 split. Would a one-score half-time lead be enough?
Thirteen minutes into the second half, that margin was stretched to 10. Beirne gave Byrne a gift from the tee when swimming up the side of the maul. Leinster did not think twice about pointing to the posts.
Leinster’s Harry Byrne. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
Neither did Munster off the following restart, Leinster failing to field the kick securely. Paddy McCarthy disrupted a breakdown illegally and not for the first time. Crowley put Munster on the board.
After Byrne answered thanks to a fortuitous offside call as the ball rebounded around the backfield, McCarthy again infringed at the ruck, undoing the good work of manhandling Crowley. There is a disruptive power in there all right, but he lacks the cuteness to get away with such skulduggery.
A lengthy attacking set, one which included Jeremy Loughman building momentum with a strong carry, was ended again by Leinster’s Ireland contingent. James Ryan this time the headliner as he forced a spill from O’Donoghue in contact.
With the visitors seemingly happy to back their disruptive defence, Munster were always going to have more chances. Eventually the killer gap was found. Ioane ultimately gave up the opportunity, albeit in unfortunate circumstances. His decision to fly out of the line disrupted Beirne as he gathered. Yet the ball bounced off the All Black and straight to Crowley.
The outhalf easily drew the last man to send Dan Kelly over but could not convert the score, five points in it as the clock ticked past 70. Munster earned one final chance as Leinster ill-discipline saw play inch towards the 22.
The last phase led to scenes which threatened to get ugly. Ioane again flew out of the line, the ball coming loose after his collision with Crowley. The outhalf made his feelings known after the full-time whistle, incensed that a deliberate knock-on was not called.
Leinster took the no-call gladly and got out of dodge, their heavies doing enough to avoid back-to-back defeats to their nearest and dearest.
Scoring sequence – 6: van der Flier try, Byrne con 0-7; Half-time 0-7; 53: Byrne pen 0-10; 55: Crowley pen 3-10; 60: Byrne pen 3-13; 70: Kelly try 8-13;
Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Michael Ala’alatoa; Edwin Edogbo, Tom Ahern; Tadhg Beirne (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Jean Kleyn for Edogbo (50 mins), Diarmuid Barron for Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman for Milne, John Ryan for Ala’alatoa (all 55), Dan Kelly for Abrahams (57), Fineen Wycherley for Ahern, John Hodnett for O’Donoghue (both 67), Paddy Patterson for Casey (73), O’Donoghue for Beirne (75).
Leinster: Ciarán Frawley; Tommy O’Brien, Rieko Ioane, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tom Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Charlie Tector for Henshaw (34 mins), Tadhg Furlong for Clarkson (49), Paddy McCarthy for Porter (50), John McKee for Kelleher (68), Scott Penny for van der Flier, Fintan Gunne for Gibson-Park (both 75), Andrew Osborne for O’Brien (78),
Not used: Diarmuid Mangan.
Referee: Peter Martin (IRFU)