Match Report: Munster 3 - Leinster 9

Gritty Leinster reclaimed top spot in the BKT United Rugby Championship by three penalties-to-one in torrential rain at Thomond Park on St Stephen’s evening.

It took a pair of Harry Byrne penalties in the first-half to create the vital separation that Munster could never bridge before a third from Byrne in the last minute confirmed their superiority.

Leinster took an immediate advantage when out-half Byrne slotted a penalty on the back of Joe McCarthy’s ruck work.

Jack Crowley overcooked a kick to give Leinster a scrum from which Byrne made the same miscalculation of the conditions.

Andrew Porter’s explosion caused Oli Jager’s knee to hit the floor for a scrum penalty. But, Ross Molony could not claim Ronan Kelleher’s throw.

Luke McGrath nabbed Jack O’Donoghue at a scrum. Crowley marked a garryowen. Leinster slipped through the phases until Porter lost the ball forward.

Jazer gained redemption at a scrum only for Craig Casey to crack a kick into touch in another sign of the unpredictable conditions .

Then, Porter pinched a penalty at a ruck for Byrne to double the lead in the 16th minute.

Centre Alex Nankivell broke a tackle and quick-thinking Casey could not avoid a foot in touch inside the 22 in better signs for Munster.

Leinster were prevented from further joy when Simon Zebo spoiled a lightning move started by Kelleher and almost finished by McGrath.

Casey was shown a yellow card for lifting Jordan Larmour’s legs above the horizontal in a tackle.

Kelleher, breaking from a maul, could not connect with Larmour. Leinster came again at the maul to be repelled by the men in red.

The muscle of McCarthy undermined a Munster maul and the ball was booted up and down the pitch for Ciaran Frawley to close the half.

The home side was quicker out of the traps, forcing a penalty which Crowley could not turn into three points.

Another scrum decision offered Crowley a 42-metre shot at the posts which halved the difference in the 52nd minute.

Crowley stripped the ball away from McCarthy and Jack Conan ripped the ball away from Nankivell.

Porter made amends for his indiscipline with a key penalty on the floor to trigger an inch-by-inch Leinster onslaught brought to an end by Tom Ahern’s intervention.

The long arms of McCarthy were good for a penalty which Byrne slammed against the right post.

Jason Jenkins forced a knock-on out of Brian Gleeson. Garry Ringrose launched a long ball to keep Leinster on the frontfoot.

A collective counter ruck by Leinster forced another penalty. Byrne pulled it left of the target.

The scrums were messy. The mistakes were mounting. Larmour countered. Frawley carried into contact. Gavin Coombes secured a penalty on the floor.

The athleticism of Ryan Baird, strength of Michael Ala’alatoa and clearance by McGrath enabled Leinster to lift the siege.

Another Baird leap at the lineout and McGrath’s ball into the night sky drew a scrum out of Calvin Nash’s knock-on.

The fresh Leinster replacements turned a scrum into a penalty. The option to tap-and-go was rewarded with another penalty and a yellow card to Jeremy Loughman in the shadow of the posts.

Again, Leinster decided to milk the clock rather than take the points. The scrum engineered a penalty.

There was less than a minute on the clock and Byrne struck his third placed ball to seal the deal.

Scorers: Munster – J Crowley pen. Leinster – H Byrne 3 pens.