Leinster huff and puff to eventually subdue Munster in tetchy contest

URC: Leinster 24 Munster 18Munster may have been rank underdogs more than is usually the case despite last year’s win in Croke Park, but they rose to the occasion and even took the game to Leinster by roaring into a 13-0 lead. Leinster’s heavier power game and quality prevailed with a dominant second period, but on a blowy night in Ballsbridge they had to huff and puff to eventually subdue their auld rivals.There were a couple of unsavoury incidents as the Munster number eight Gavin Coombes claimed he had his testicles grabbed in the 38th minute, and though nothing was proved on immediate video review, that is sure to be investigated. Leo Cullen and the Munster defence coach, who formerly worked under the Leinster head coach, had an altercation at the full-time whistle.Munster were full value for both their 13-0 lead in a high quality if tetchy first half – the red hordes making their voices heard in a crowd of 37,193, and the bonus point which Ben O’Connor’s try with the last play earned them. For all their disappointment, given Munster injury toll this was further evidence of their progress this season.In a tetchy game, it always felt that Leinster’s greater depth would tell once they upped their intensity and camped in Munster’s half, albeit they had to dig deep. Ultimately, they were heavily indebted to the enduring brilliance of Jamison Gibson-Park, who hardly showed a trace of rust in his man of the match seasonal return which was garnished with three high-quality try assists.READ MOREIn his first game for Leinster since the 2018 Pro14 final win here over the Scarlets, Joey Carbery glided over the turf and provided a running threat. Although he had a few missed kicks, he struck the ball smoothly. Their big forward guns went well and although Dan Sheehan experiment at eight was not without its positive moments, with Cullen hailing his performance as “excellent” and he was the game’s leading carrier with 17 carries.Leinster's Dan Sheehan prepares for a scrum against Munster. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Their 62 per cent and 63 per cent share of the territory and possession was also reflected in the toll it took on Munster’s defence, as they made 243 tackles to Leinster’s 115, as did a costly 17-12 penalty count against the visitors. But, all in all, the watching Andy Farrell could feel encouraged with where many of his frontliners are at.A good start always seemed more imperative for Munster and so it came to pass. The slick passing which has been a feature of their recent games was quickly in evidence as sharp passing by Alex Nankivell and O’Shea created space for Shay McCarthy off his wing to make inroads twice, as well as reclaiming a Craig Casey box kick in another impressive outing by the winger.A combined high tackle by Rónan Kelleher and James Ryan on Kieran Brookes enabled O’Shea to have an early settler to open the scoring before a minutes’ applause in the eighth minute to honour Anthony Foley in a classy touch by Leinster.Another dominant feature of the first half was the regularity with which Munster players chop-tackled and their team-mates were quickly over the ball to win penalties in the jackal, be it Alex Kendellen, Josh Wycherley or Coombes.Soon after the latter’s effort, Munster struck deservedly and stealthily, launching off a lineout and striking three phases later which was again testimony to the work done under Jared Payne and Mossy Lawlor.Munster's Shane Daly celebrates after scoring the first try of the match. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Alex Nankivell’s disguised pullback, when it looked for all the world like he was going to truck it up, was clearly called by Charlie O’Shea who saw Andrew Osborne shooting up. His flat pass put Sean O’Brien through a gap. He linked with Casey on his inside, the scrumhalf then working a switch with Shane Daly for a superb try which O’Shea converted.The 20-year-old outhalf made it 13-0 with a somewhat questionable penalty from halfway before Leinster went up a gear. Tommy O’Brien was launched up the middle in trademark style off a lineout and, but for Andrew Brace being sandwich by Kelleher’s carry and Josh Wycherley’s tackle, looked set to score.From the resultant scrum, there was plenty of animation as Jimmy O’Brien went blind, and Henshaw shaped to truck it up before Gibson-Park went to the open side and floated a long pass over Ben O’Connor, who was a tad too narrow, for Tommy O’Brien to score untouched. Gibson-Park’s skill off his left hand was admirable, it was not so much a bridge pass as a meteor from outer space.Before the break there was a claim from Coombes that his testicles had been grabbed in a ruck and Andrew Brace went to his TMO Colin Stanley but they agreed that there was “nothing clear” to substantiate the charge there and then.The second half was largely one-way traffic although it pivoted on one key reversed penalty when, on review, Kieran Brookes was pinged for an off-the-ball shoulder hit on Kelleher, and after the latter had been warned for using foul language at Brace by the referee.Despite one good defensive maul by Munster a procession of penalties and stubborn last-line defence from a power play, two scrum penalties against Brookes eventually led to Joe McCarthy’s close-range finish and, critically, a penalty against Nankivell and “repeated infringements”.Another penalty in the jackal, by Tadhg Beirne, lifted another siege before the increasingly influential Carbery found a 50-metre penalty to the corner. Gus McCarthy atoned for an overthrow by winning a turnover penalty. Cue another power play and another assist for Gibson-Park, as he picked out Charlie Tector, an interval replacement for Jimmy O’Brien.Ryan Baird’s one-handed take led to another power play and a third try assist for Gibson-Park as he floated a bridge pass to the touchline-hugging Jamie Osborne.To their credit Munster had the final say after McCarthy won a penalty to the corner. Nankivell’s pickup and Sean Edogbo’s carry led to the former giving O’Connor a good finish by the corner flag. Munster were worthy of their bonus point.Scoring sequence: 7 mins: O’Shea pen 0-3; 28: Daly try, O’Shea con 0-10; 30: O’Shea pen 0-13; 34: T O’Brien try, 5-13; HT: 5-13; 55: McCarthy try, Carbery con 12-13; 63: Tector try 17-13; 73: Osborne try, Carbery con 24-13; 82: O’Connor try 24-18.Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Joey Carbery, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Dan Sheehan (capt). Replacements: Charlie Tector for J O’Brien (HT), Gus McCarthy for Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson for Furlong (both 62 mins), Scott Penny for van der Flier (68), Conor O’Tighearnaigh for Ryan, Fintan Gunne for T O’Brien (both 69), Alex Usanov for Porter, Caspar Gabriel for Carbery (both 75).Munster: Ben O’Connor, Shay McCarthy, Seán O’Brien, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly, Charlie O’Shea, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Marnus van der Merwe, Kieran Brookes, Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Gordon Wood for O’Brien (39 mins), Mark Donnelly for J Wycherley (56), Seán Edogbo for Kendellen, Brian Gleeson for Coombes (both 58), Michael Ala’alatoa for Brookes (60), Ben O’Donovan for Casey, JJ Hanrahan for O’Shea (both 65), O’Shea for Daly (71), Max Clein for van der Merwe (75).Sinbinned: Nankivell (53-63 mins).Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU).