Munster 7-28 Leinster: Visitors grind way to URC derby victory over injury-hit hosts at Thomond Park

Caelan Doris impressed as his Leinster side eventually secured derby victory over Munster in Limerick

Leinster ground their way to a bonus-point 28-7 success over an injury-hit Munster at Thomond Park in the festive period’s big Irish provincial derby.

Scrum-half Luke McGrath, out-half Sam Prendergast, flanker Josh van der Flier and No 8 Caelan Doris scored tries, though the score-line only tells part of the story on a night Munster missed countless opportunities.

Leinster wing Tommy O'Brien was sin-binned in the first half for repeat team infringements within their own 22, but Munster failed to garner any points from sustained periods of attack - something that was to prove fatal.

Munster headed into the game shorn of some 21 senior players amidst yet another injury crisis in recent years, with key men Peter O'Mahony, Craig Casey, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams, Jean Kleyn, Conor Murray, Jeremy Loughman and Jack Crowley among those absent (all injured bar Crowley, who was unavailable due to the IRFU's manage minutes program).

Leinster, meanwhile, could call upon several of their Ireland starters having rested most vs Connacht in Dublin on December 21, naming a forward pack containing six established internationals, plus the likes of Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose and Jamie Osborne in the backs.

That stark contrast in terms of resource eventually bore fruit on the night, though Leinster will come away concerned with the sheer amount of chances Munster had and the number of penalties given up.

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Munster actually started the brighter, stringing together early play and forcing a penalty when Henshaw failed to release at the breakdown, but the resulting chance in the 22 came to nothing when Niall Scannell's lineout throw proved too high for Tadhg Beirne.

A poor Billy Burns kick which ran dead ended Munster's opening foray entirely, but Leinster then spurned a huge chance for the first try themselves when Henshaw passed forward with a clear overlap on.

Leinster won a scrum penalty against the head, though, kicked into the corner, and did have a soft opening try when McGrath sniped through a massive hole from a ruck near the try-line in the ninth minute.

Prendergast converted for 7-0, but Munster soon clicked for another big chance as Burns found Gavin Coombes with a cross-field kick-pass, only for Coombes' offload inside to come off Tom Farrell's knees within the 22.

Munster had played that attack off penalty advantage, and soon had a five-metre lineout to attack from. Again, it came to nothing when Leinster swallowed up the ball to force it unplayable - prop Jack Boyle coming in from the side but avoiding censure.

When full-back Mike Haley knocked on in Munster's next attack, deflation in the stands proved palpable. But the hosts continued to dominate most of the early play, bringing the crowd to life when Leinster out-half Prendergast was smashed and turned over in his own 22.

Played out in a phenomenal Thomond Park atmosphere, Munster's incredible list of unavailable players left victory too tall an order

Munster proceeded to batter at the Leinster try-line, with the visitors guilty of three successive penalties before wing O'Brien was sin-binned for repeat team offences. Munster again failed to take the chance, however, when skipper Beirne was crucially held up over the try-line by Ringrose under the posts.

Munster's Farrell soon knocked on attempting an offload in midfield, with Leinster winning a scrum penalty to force territory for the first time since their early score.

A clear penalty for obstruction on Calvin Nash under a high ball was missed by the officials, with home scrum-half Ethan Coughlan soon forced over his own try-line after another scrappy lineout for a Leinster scrum-five.

Unlike their hosts, Leinster wouldn't miss the chance as Prendergast ran over for their second try on 33 minutes after several phases of close-range pick-and-go carries had narrowed Munster's defence.

O'Brien emerged from the sin-bin with Leinster's lead improbably increased to 14-0, while Munster centre Rory Scannell soon criminally missed touch with a kick from hand, increasing frustration as the half ended 14-0.

An early scrum penalty put Munster attacking five metres from the Leinster try-line again early in the second half, with the visitors guilty of three more penalties close to the try-line (at lineout and breakdown).

Leinster just avoided being shown a second yellow as Thomas Ahern superbly scythed through and reached out to score on penalty advantage, with Burns adding an impressive conversion for 14-7.

Thomas Ahern stood out for Munster with his display on the night, scoring an early second half try to bring the hosts back into it

A scrum penalty against the head earned Leinster their first attack of the half in the 22, with a poor piece of officiating allowing a James Ryan offload off the ground for a Van der Flier try after Munster had seemingly counter-rucked successfully - the score should also have been disallowed for hooker Ronan Kelleher having illegally cleared out the Munster pillar in Farrell.

That controversial score knocked the stuffing out of Munster, while a poor Nash forward pass saw their next attacking chance go awry.

With six minutes to go, the clash was officially wrapped up as a contest when Doris showed his power to get over for Leinster's fourth and final try.

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