Derby duels

Last five Leinster v Munster league encounters

Saturday, March 31st, 2012

Munster 9 Leinster 18 (Thomond Park)

As a spectacle it teetered towards the pedantic, primarily attributable to an endless succession of collapsed scrums for which Marcus Horan and Mike Ross would eventually see yellow. There were no tries but Leinster, led by Jamie Heaslip and Gordon D’Arcy, were full value for their win; it ended a run of consecutive defeats in Limerick. Both teams would go on to lose to the Ospreys in the knock-out stage.

Scoring sequence: 9 mins: Sexton pen 0-3; 28: O'Gara pen 3-3; 31: Sexton pen 3-6; 35: Sexton pen 3-9; (half-time: 3-9); 46: O'Gara pen 6-9; 54: O'Gara pen 9-9; 60: Sexton pen 9-12; 70: McFadden pen 9-15; 75: Madigan drop goal 9-18.

MUNSTER: F Jones; J Murphy, K Earls, L Mafi, S Zebo; R O'Gara (capt), T O'Leary; M Horan, D Varley, BJ Botha; D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll; Dave O'Callaghan, P O'Mahony, J Coughlan. Replacements: W du Preez for Horan (44 mins), M Sherry for Varley (51 mins), T O'Donnell for O'Callaghan (56 mins), D Williams for O'Leary (65 mins), D Barnes for Earls (67 mins). Not used: S Archer, B Holland, I Keatley. Sin binned: Horan (43 mins).

LEINSTER: R Kearney; I Nacewa, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H van der Merwe, S Cronin, M Ross, B Thorn, D Toner, K McLaughlin, S Jennings, J Heaslip (capt). Replacements: F McFadden for D'Arcy (34-37 and 65 mins), J Hagan for Ross (44-56 and 77 mins), C Healy for van der Meurwe (54 mins), L Cullen for Thorn, S O'Brien for McLaughlin (both 55 mins), R Strauss for Cronin (59 mins), I Madigan for Sexton, I Boss for Reddan (64 mins). Sin binned: Ross (44-54 mins).

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU).

Friday, November 14th, 2011

Leinster 24 Munster 19 (Aviva Stadium)

This match was dominated by the unsympathetic whistle of French referee Pascal Gauzere, whose interpretation of the breakdown frustrated players and supporters alike. Munster lost Keith Earls to injury on two minutes and thereafter spent a frustrating evening chasing Leinster. The visitors’ indiscipline saw Jonathan Sexton land seven penalties but Munster managed to rescue a losing bonus point three minutes from time when their scrum forced a penalty try.

Scoring sequence: 5 mins: O'Gara pen 0-3; 9 mins: Sexton pen 3-3; 14: Sexton pen 6-3; 20: O'Gara pen 6-6; 22: Sexton pen 9-6; 29: Sexton pen 12-6; 34: O'Gara pen 12-9; 39: Sexton pen 15-9; (half-time 15-9); 43: O'Gara pen 15-12; 45: Sexton pen 18-12; 56: Kearney drop goal 21-12; 61: Sexton pen 24-12; 77: penalty try, O'Gara con 24-19.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; I Nacewa, F McFadden, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), D Toner, S O'Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: H van der Merwe for Healy (55), E Reddan for Boss (58), R Ruddock for Jennings (63), J Hagan for Ross, K McLaughlin for Toner, E O'Malley for D'Arcy (all 73). Not used: S Cronin, I Madigan. Sinbinned: Heaslip (69-79).

MUNSTER: J Murphy; D Howlett, W Chambers, L Mafi, K Earls; R O'Gara, C Murray; W du Preez, D Varley, BJ Botha; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), D Ryan, N Ronan, D Leamy. Replacements: D Barnes for Earls (2), P O'Mahony for Ronan, J Coughlan for O'Callaghan (both 52), T O'Leary for Murray (63), I Keatley for Murphy (75 mins), M Horan for du Preez (73), J Hayes for Botha (78). Not used: D Fogarty. Sinbinned: Leamy (60-70).

Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FFR).

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Munster 19 Leinster 9 (Thomond Park)

Leinster’s double aspirations were ruthlessly dashed as the Heineken Cup winners were well beaten on the day. Munster, who had dominated the league format of the tournament were deservedly crowned Magners League champions. The home side’s tries came from Doug Howlett, Keith Earls and a penalty try on a day when David Wallace made his 200th Munster appearance. Leinster looked a little jaded after their European heroics and despite battling gamely to the end were held try-less.

Scoring sequence: 12 mins: Howlett try, O'Gara conversion, 7-0; 29: Sexton penalty, 7-3. Half-time: 7-3. 49: Sexton penalty, 7-6; 60: Sexton penalty, 7-9; 66: Earls try, 12-9; 79: penalty try, O'Gara conversion, 19-9.

MUNSTER: F Jones; D Howlett, D Barnes, L Mafi, K Earls; R O'Gara, C Murray; M Horan, D Varley, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt); D Ryan, D Wallace, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, W du Preez, S Archer, D Leamy, N Ronan, P Stringer, P Warwick, J Murphy.

Leinster: I Nacewa; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, F McFadden, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen (capt), N Hines; S O'Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: A Dundon, C Healy, S Wright, D Toner, K McLaughlin, P O'Donohoe, I Madigan, E O'Malley.

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU).

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

Munster 24 Leinster 23 (Thomond Park)

Munster may have failed to score a try again – in that particular respect Leinster scored 10 to none in the last six meetings between the teams – but the boot of Ronan O’Gara rescued their ambition. The outhalf kicked eight penalties as the home side overhauled a 20-9 interval deficit. There was a familiar theme to the contest in that referee Andrew Small had a major bearing on the outcome. Leinster had some justification in feeling aggrieved as they largely played the brighter rugby.

Scoring sequence: 5 mins: O’Gara pen 3-0; 7: Sexton pen 3-3; 11: O’Gara pen 6-3; 14: Sexton pen 6-6; 19: Sexton pen 6-9; 21: Horgan try 6-14; 26: O’Gara pen 9-14; 36: Sexton pen 9-17; 39: Sexton pen 9-20; 44: Warwick pen 12-20; 48: O’Gara pen 15-20; 53: O’Gara pen 18-20; 62: O’Gara pen 21-20; 66: Sexton pen 21-23; 80: O’Gara pen 24-23.

MUNSTER: F Jones; D Howlett, J Murphy, L Mafi, K Earls; R OGara, C Murray; W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley; D O'Callaghan, P OConnell capt; D Ryan, D Wallace, J Coughlan. Replacements: P Warwick for O'Gara (41-45 mins) and for Jones (76 mins), M ODriscoll for O'Connell (47 mins), D Leamy for Ryan (54 mins), S Tuitoupou for Murphy (62 mins), M Horan for Horan, J Hayes for Buckley, P Stringer for Murray (all 66 mins), M Sherry for Varley (76 mins). Sinbinned: Murphy (35-45 mins).

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen (capt), N Hines, K McLaughlin, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: H van der Merwe for Healy (56 mins), E Reddan for Boss (58 mins), R Ruddock for McLaughlin (62 mins), F McFadden for Horgan (66 mins). Not used: A Dundon, S Wright, D Toner, I Madigan. Sinbinned: O'Driscoll (61-71 mins).

Referee: Andrew Small (RFU).

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Leinster 13 Munster 9 (Aviva Stadium)

Something of a disastrous day for the visitors. They lost for the fifth consecutive time to Leinster, a run of defeats last seen in the 1930s. Lifeimi Mafi received a seven week ban for a high tackle on Rob Kearney while Tomás O’Leary broke his thumb and was sidelined for two months. It was Brian O’Driscoll’s try that decided the outcome. It now seems even more laughable to recount that Joe Schmidt was “under pressure” from some sections of the media after the team won just one of their first four league matches.

Scoring sequence: 4 mins: O'Gara penalty, 0-3; 24: Nacewa penalty, 3-3. Half-time: 3-3. 49: O'Gara penalty, 3-6; 55: Nacewa penalty, 6-6; 57: O'Gara penalty, 6-9; 70: O'Driscoll try, Nacewa conversion, 13-9.

Leinster: R Kearney; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy; L Fitzgerald; I Nacewa, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, M Ross; N Hines, D Toner; D Ryan, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: E Reddan for Boss, J Sexton for Horgan (both 56), H van der Merwe for Healy ( 61), B Shawe for Ross, R Ruddock for Heaslip, (both 77). Not used: J Harris-Wright, P Galarza, F McFadden.

MUNSTER: P Warwick; D Howlett, L Mafi, S Tuitupou, J Murphy; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; W du Preez, D Varley, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan;D Ryan, A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Leamy. Replacements: D Wallace for Quinlan (56), M Horan for du Preez, M O'Driscoll for Ryan, both 64. Not used: N Henry, Darragh Hurley, S Deasy, P Stringer, Denis Hurley.

Referee: J Garces (France).