Munster 28Leinster 13<\/p>\n
MUNSTER WERE DOMINANT in victory over Leinster at Thomond Park, scoring three tries in an intelligent display against Matt O\u2019Connor\u2019s out-of-sorts team.<\/p>\n
The home side employed a kicking game that worked ideally on a cold, windy evening in Limerick, as Leinster struggled badly under the high ball. Munster\u2019s effectiveness in narrow channels was an important factor too, as O\u2019Connor\u2019s side failed to defend convincingly in that area.<\/p>\n
Man of the match CJ Stander, Andrew Conway and Dave O\u2019Callaghan all crossed the whitewash for Munster, while the impressive Ian Keatley kicked 13 points and generally outshone his opposite number, Ian Madigan.<\/p>\n
Leinster managed a late consolation try through Shane Jennings, but their attacking display was blunt overall. Not until the closing quarter did O\u2019Connor\u2019s side get any real territory, while their phase play was unimaginative.<\/p>\n
A sold-out Thomond Park was in-form too, enjoying the focused, aggressive performance from their team.<\/p>\n
Leinster\u2019s unease under the high ball was evident from the very first minute, when Andrew Conway rose above Zane Kirchner to win a Munster bomb, before Ian Madigan and Dave Kearney crossed wires after a swirling Ian Keatley garryowen.<\/p>\n
The second error saw Kearney dragged into touch, from where Munster drew the Leinster pack into dragging the maul down and Keatley slotted his first penalty attempt of the night with just three minutes gone.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Stander gets his jersey back after scoring a first-half try. Source: Dan Sheridan\/INPHO<\/p>\n
John Ryan\u2019s failure to roll away after a tackle in the Munster 22 allowed Madigan to level the scoreline shortly after, but the home team continued to trouble Matt O\u2019Connor\u2019s men with their clever kicking game.<\/p>\n
Keatley combined the bombs with some deft grubbered diagonals in behind the Leinster frontline, while the likes of Tommy O\u2019Donnell and Billy Holland brought impressive physicality up front.<\/p>\n
Munster missed two try-scoring opportunities in the first half, but their 17th-minute effort was unstoppable. O\u2019Donnell and co. picked and jammed repeatedly around the fringes close to the Leinster tryline from an initial scrum platform, before a short pass sent the jersey-less CJ Stander diving over to the right of the posts.<\/p>\n
Keatley\u2019s conversion was off target, but Munster continued to prosper despite the best efforts of Leinster\u2019s defence. A huge linebreak from Ian Keatley deep inside the Munster half should have led to points as the out-half\u2019s surge helped Anthony Foley\u2019s side into the Leinster 22.<\/p>\n
However, O\u2019Connor\u2019s men recovered to win a turnover penalty and went down the other end to get out their own bludgeon close to the tryline. Unlike Munster, they couldn\u2019t convert as Darragh Fanning\u2019s offload attempt was picked off by Felix Jones.<\/p>\n
Madigan did get his second penalty soon after though, kicking the three points from the left of the posts after Munster were caught offside from a scrum. Keatley was on target again in the 32nd minute to open the five-point gap back up, punishing Kane Douglas for failing to roll away from his tackle.<\/p>\n
Leinster out-half Madigan has an immediate chance to cancel out that Keatley score, as referee Nigel Owens harshly pinged Paddy Butler, on for the injured Robin Copeland, for not releasing after being tackled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Dave Kearney gets to grips with Andrew Conway in Limerick. Source: Dan Sheridan\/INPHO<\/p>\n
Madigan was wide, however, and his teammates continued to struggle in the air. Jones\u2019 brilliant kick and gather from inside his own half put Munster on the front foot, eventually leading to a notable overlap inside the Leinster 22.<\/p>\n
Denis Hurley just couldn\u2019t get his pass away under intense pressure wide on the right, and again Leinster got over the ball to earn a turnover penalty, going into the break 11-6 down.<\/p>\n
Munster enjoyed a strong start to the second half too, the hard-working Conway bursting onto a cleverly-delayed Keatley pass to go through Fanning\u2019s tackle and score Munster\u2019s second try.<\/p>\n
An offload from Hurley to Pat Howard had provided momentum at first, before Munster again looked to their narrow pick and jams to make further yardage. The combination to finish was sweeping and Keatley tacked on the conversion.<\/p>\n
As in the first half, Leinster struggled to use the ball effectively, highlighted by a 15-phase attack going nowhere close to the Munster 22 with 50 minutes on the clock, Hurley ending the passage with a turnover penalty.<\/p>\n
Foley\u2019s charges returned to their narrow game and from one such thrust, Fanning fell on a ball that appeared to have left the ruck. Owens decided otherwise and yellow-carded the Leinster wing for playing the ball.<\/p>\n
Keatley\u2019s penalty rubbed salt in the wound and sent Munster into a 21-6 lead. Paddy Butler broke in midfield as Munster\u2019s dominance became pronounced, while BJ Botha won a scrum penalty with his first action off the bench.<\/p>\n
Andrew Conway powers over for his try in the second half. Source: Dan Sheridan\/INPHO<\/p>\n
This time, Keatley\u2019s attempt from 48 metres dropped short, but Munster were not discouraged. Again, they went on a thundering narrow attack, ending with replacement flanker Dave O\u2019Callaghan ducking under Douglas\u2019 tackle to score.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Keatley was on target to give Munster a 28-6 advantage that was hard to argue with.<\/p>\n
Leinster rallied heading into the final 10 minutes of the clash, building a 20-phase passage of attack to eventually dot down through Shane Jennings, courtesty of an offload from number eight Jack Conan. Madigan\u2019s conversion was accurate for 28-13.<\/p>\n
That was to be the extent of their fightback though, as Stander ran in a disallowed try and Munster repelled the final Leinster attack helped by the topless Botha. The home fans went home warmed by an encouraging display from their team.<\/p>\n
MUNSTER:\u00a0Felix Jones (capt.) (Johne Murphy \u201971);\u00a0Andrew Conway,\u00a0Pat Howard,\u00a0Denis Hurley (JJ Hanrahan \u201959),\u00a0Ronan O\u2019Mahony;\u00a0Ian Keatley,\u00a0Duncan Williams (Neil Cronin \u201977);\u00a0John Ryan (Eusebio Guinazu \u201964),\u00a0Duncan Casey (Kevin O\u2019Byrne \u201966), Stephen Archer (BJ Botha \u201959);\u00a0Donncha O\u2019Callaghan,\u00a0Billy Holland;\u00a0CJ Stander,\u00a0Tommy O\u2019Donnell (Dave O\u2019Callaghan \u201952),\u00a0Robin Copeland (Paddy Butler \u201927).<\/p>\n
LEINSTER:\u00a0Zane Kirchner;\u00a0Darragh Fanning (Jimmy Gopperth \u201964),\u00a0Luke Fitzgerald,\u00a0Gordon D\u2019Arcy,\u00a0Dave Kearney;\u00a0Ian Madigan,\u00a0Isaac Boss;\u00a0Michael Bent,\u00a0Richardt Strauss (Aaron Dundon \u201971),\u00a0Tadhg Furlong;\u00a0Mike McCarthy (Tom Denton \u201971),\u00a0Kane Douglas;\u00a0Dominic Ryan (Jordi Murphy \u201915),\u00a0Shane Jennings (capt.),\u00a0Jack Conan.<\/p>\n
Replacements not used:\u00a0<\/em>Maks Van Dyk,\u00a0Jamie Hagan,\u00a0Luke McGrath, Colm O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n Who would feature in a Munster v Leinster soccer match?Titles, tries and tears: The best pictures from Brian O\u2019Driscoll\u2019s final year in rugby <\/p><\/div>\n \n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n