Leinster muscle their way to victory over Munster in bruising Thomond Park encounter

Leinster continue to hold the edge over their arch-rivals as they secured their second successive victory over Munster this season with a 9-3 win at Thomond Park.

Played in atrocious conditions, it was a physical affair, but it was the visitors that just did enough to claim the triumph.

Two Harry Byrne penalties gave the Dubliners a 6-0 advantage at the break before an improved showing from the hosts allowed Jack Crowley to reduce the arrears.

However, Leinster reasserted their control on the game and could have sealed the win earlier, only for Byrne to miss two shots at goal.

The fly-half would get one final opportunity, though, this time from in front of the uprights, and he made no mistake to confirm his side’s United Rugby Championship victory.

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The result saw Leo Cullen’s men move back above Glasgow Warriors at the summit, while it is Munster’s second defeat of the season to their arch-rivals, coming on the back of a winless start to their Investec Champions Cup campaign.

Munster suffered a couple of early setbacks, losing captain Diarmuid Barron to injury after he had leaked the opening points to Byrne for sealing off.

Inexperienced hooker Eoghan Clarke, signed by Munster on a short-term deal, entered the fray before Byrne rewarded Andrew Porter’s breakdown work to make it 6-0 in the 15th minute.

Alex Nankivell’s impressive leg drive got Munster into scoring range, but Craig Casey’s blindside break, midway through the first half, was foiled by a foot in touch.

Leinster pressed for the opening try off a quick counter attack, only for a bandaged-up Simon Zebo to thwart Luke McGrath’s attempted pass back inside.

It was tit-for-tat in the scrums, with Oli Jager, making his first Munster start, having a ding-dong battle with Ireland international Porter.

Leinster failed to profit from Casey’s yellow card – he took Jordan Larmour above the horizontal in a tackle – as Munster’s sharp maul defence dug them out of a hole.

Crowley, who briefly stepped in at scrum-half, missed an early second half penalty, and Munster’s cruel run of luck of injuries continued when Edwin Edogbo was forced off.

A long-range 51st-minute strike from Crowley lifted the hosts, who defended smartly near their own line before watching Byrne hit the post with a penalty into the swirling wind.

The Leinster fly-half pulled a second kick wide in the 63rd minute, but the visitors succeeded in disrupting Munster’s subsequent lineouts with replacement Ryan Baird a real nuisance.

Leinster’s six-two split on the bench was a factor late on as a couple of scrum penalties allowed them to grind out the result in testing conditions.

With Munster replacement Jeremy Loughman dispatched to the bin for a cynical offside, Byrne settled the issue from straight in front of the posts.

Munster: 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Antoine Frisch, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Gavin Coombes, 4 Edwin Edogbo, 3 Oli Jager, 2 Diarmuid Barron (c), 1 Dave Kilcoyne
Replacements: 16 Eoghan Clarke, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Brian Gleeson, 20 Alex Kendellen, 21 Paddy Patterson, 22 Tony Butler, 23 Sean O’Brien

Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Jordan Larmour, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Ciaran Frawley, 11 Rob Russell, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Scott Penny, 6 Max Deegan, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Ross Molony, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 Ed Byrne, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Ryan Baird, 21 Ben Murphy, 22 Liam Turner, 23 Will Connors

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Peter Martin (Ireland), Andrew Cole (Ireland)
TMO: Brian McNeice (Ireland)

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