Happy Christmas, everyone, and welcome to your live coverage of tonight’s URC clash between champions Munster and league leaders Leinster at Thomond Park.
Gavan Casey here and, first and foremost, I hope you’ve had a lovely few days, wherever you are in the world.
Presumably, if you’re following this liveblog, you can’t make it to a TV or to Thomond Park tonight. But I’ll be bringing you as many updates as is humanly possible from kick-off at 7:35pm, so you’ll be well up to speed.
There is already a change to one of the teams, which I’ll bring you momentarily.
Strap in, and let’s enjoy a belting Christmas interpro!
So, as I was saying earlier, there has been a change made to one of the teams as they were named way back on Friday.
It comes on Leinster’s side, with scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park ruled out at the 11th hour.
That means that the returning Luke McGrath — who hasn’t featured for Leinster since their season opener at Glasgow — starts at nine, while Ben Murphy comes onto the Leinster bench.
The IRFU’s player-welfare guidelines dictate that Munster will be without Tadhg Beirne and Conor Murray, who have each featured in all five games for the province since returning from the World Cup at which they also played in all five of Ireland’s games.
In Beirne’s place, academy lock Edwin Edogbo returns from injury to make his seventh start of the campaign, while Paddy Patterson replaces Murray on the Munster bench.
Diarmuid Barron takes over the captaincy at hooker, with tighthead Oli Jager making his first start for the southern province and Dave Kilcoyne named to start for the first time this season.
Simon Zebo comes into the side at fullback for his second appearance of the term with Shane Daly moving onto the left wing.
Munster are otherwise unchanged from their Champions Cup defeat to Exeter.
In a mixed team, Leinster have called upon Harry Byrne at out-half upon his return from a head injury, with Ciarán Frawley shifting to inside centre.
Leo Cullen has consequently named a six-two split on the bench, with Will Connors the spare forward and only the aforementioned Ben Murphy and Liam Turner covering the backs.
Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher and Michael Ala’alatoa make up the front row, with Ross Molony and Joe McCarthy named at lock.
Max Deegan, Scott Penny and Jack Conan complete the pack.
Rob Russell earns a start on the left wing in a back three which also includes Hugo Keenan and Jordan Larmour.
Munster
- 15. Simon Zebo
- 14. Calvin Nash
- 13. Antoine Frisch
- 12. Alex Nankivell
- 11. Shane Daly
- 10. Jack Crowley
- 9. Craig Casey
- 1. Dave Kilcoyne
- 2. Diarmuid Barron (Captain)
- 3. Oli Jager
- 4. Edwin Edogbo
- 5. Gavin Coombes
- 6. Tom Ahern
- 7. John Hodnett
- 8. Jack O’Donoghue
Replacements:
- 16. Eoghan Clarke
- 17. Jeremy Loughman
- 18. Stephen Archer
- 19. Brian Gleeson
- 20. Alex Kendellen
- 21. Paddy Patterson
- 22. Tony Butler
- 23. Seán O’Brien
Leinster
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Jordan Larmour
- 13. Garry Ringrose (Captain)
- 12. Ciarán Frawley
- 11. Rob Russell
- 10. Harry Byrne
- 9. Luke McGrath
- 1. Andrew Porter
- 2. Rónan Kelleher
- 3. Michael Ala’alatoa
- 4. Ross Molony
- 5. Joe McCarthy
- 6. Max Deegan
- 7. Scott Penny
- 8. Jack Conan
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 (IRFU)
It’s absolutely piddling rain in Limerick, for what it’s worth.
All smiles during the coin toss…
Andy Brace is your man in the middle this evening.
Who do you fancy in this evening’s game?
Does the loss of Gibson-Park influence things slightly?
Or can Munster earn their first home victory over Leinster in five years?
Poll Results:
Thomond Park is fizzing.
‘Stand Up and Fight’ has just reached its conclusion, and here come the players to the tune of ‘Zombie.’
Kick-off in Limerick is on the way!
1′ – MUN 0-0 LEIN: Harry Byrne gets us underway — and Leinster instantly win a kickable penalty as Diarmuid Barron is pinged for sealing off after Jack O’Donoghue went to ground.
Big roar from the Leinster players. Idyllic start for them. Harry Byrne will kick for goal from close range.
2′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: Byrne slots it. Leinster lead after 90 seconds at Thomond Park.
4′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: A couple of half-breaks by Simon Zebo and Shane Daly, but Munster attack slows near midfield so Jack Crowley kicks for territory.
He sees scope for a 50-22 and bombs one over Rob Russell’s head down Leinster’s left-hand side — but the bounce is unfortunate and takes the ball into the in-goal and, eventually over the dead-ball line.
Scrum all the way back for Leinster.
Would be harsh to describe it as a mistake by Crowley — it was an excellent kick with nothing else on. Cruel hop off a wet surface.
5′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: First scrum of the game is a stalemate. McGrath gets it out to Byrne — and he winds up kicking the ball dead from halfway just moments after Crowley did the same.
It was a more delicate kick by Byrne but pretty inaccurate if he was going for touch.
But he gets away with it in the end: Leinster win a penalty on Munster ball in the second scrum of the game!
7′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: Byrne boots Leinster into the Munster 22′.
Munster contest the lineout and Jack O’Donoghue forces a knock-on from Ross Molony.
Scrum, Munster ball, on their own 22′ — but here’s a serious blow for them: skipper Diarmuid Barron is going to have to come off. He got injured during the previous scrum, seemingly when it went to ground.
On comes former Jersey Red Eoghan Clarke at hooker for the hosts.
9′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: Munster’s second put-in to a scrum is a lot more solid than their first. They lock Leinster out and clear long.
Luke McGrath returns it but Jack Crowley calls a mark. He launches a massive clearance into touch on halfway.
12′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: Possession pretty even but Leinster have enjoyed the bulk of the territory so far.
Munster win a penalty at the scrum on their own 22′, with Oli Jager forcing Andrew Porter into a crooked drive. That’s a big win for Munster’s new signing.
14′ – MUN 0-3 LEIN: Clarke gets away with a crooked lineout near halfway — the wind is causing havoc, to be fair.
Casey tries a box kick but it bounces into touch only a few metres away from where it started.
15′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN:
Leinster win a second kickable penalty as Jack O’Donoghue gets isolated just outside his own 22′ and Andrew Porter gets in a perfect jackal position.
Byrne strikes it very well from left of centre.
Six Leinster points from Munster’s attacking breakdowns. Mike Prendergast will be disgusted with that.
18′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Leinster are giving Munster serious trouble at the breakdown — but they concede a penalty on halfway as Rónan Kelleher attempts a poach from what Andrew Brace deems to be an offside position.
Jack Crowley kicks Munster into touch inside Leinster’s 22′.
Edogbo wins the lineout and Munster set up a maul. It rolls forward for a couple of yards before Casey feeds Nankivell — and the Kiwi makes a huge surge deeper into Leinster territory.
Munster attack left and Casey brings Thomond to its feet as he snipes blind — but his foot was in touch before he made a nice gain. Leinster throw-in to the lineout.
20′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Dave Kilcoyne is off for a HIA, replaced by Jeremy Loughman.
Leinster clear off their own lineout and Shane Daly makes a really uncharacteristic drop. The conditions are atrocious but Daly will be fuming with himself, he took his eye off that one.
Tense, tight game in sopping weather and significant wind.
Leinster’s smarts at the breakdown — and two swings of Harry Byrne’s right boot – the only points of difference so far.
Munster have seemingly settled in the scrum but haven’t yet been able to get much going in terms of attack.
24′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: HUGE CHANCE FOR LEINSTER, BUT IT’S SIMON ZEBO TO THE RESCUE FOR MUNSTER!
Calvin Nash loses the flight of a ball in the wind and Leinster pounce. Scott Penny gathers it and bursts down the left. He produces a lovely offload to set Luke McGrath clear.
McGrath pins the ears back and charges towards the corner but Zebo comes out of nowhere to tackle him from behind and force the knock-on. Superb defensive work by the Munster fullback.
And to top it all off, Munster win a penalty at the scrum.
29′ MUN 0-6 LEIN: Porter gets one back on Jager and Leinster win a huge penalty on Munster ball inside their own half.
That scrum battle has been fascinating so far.
But so too has the battle at the lineout — and Munster steal one through Tom Ahern!
A poor box kick by Casey, though, goes out on the full, so Leinster get it back where they started, give or take a yard.
31′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Leinster try a short launch off lineout but McCarthy’s pop back to Kelleher is adjudged to have gone forward.
However, there’s a TMO check on a Craig Casey tackle on Jordan Larmour. He tipped Larmour onto his back.
Casey is going to get yellow here, and Leinster are going to get a penalty.
31′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Leinster go to touch and win another penalty as a Munster player is pinged for lifting a leg in the maul.
They almost get over in the corner but there’s a knock-on, possibly by Frawley.
Back to the penalty, and back into touch on the Munster 5′.
33′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: LEINSTER ROLLING TOWARDS THE LINE! In come the backs!
But Munster make an unbelievable stop! Jack Crowley was even in there! And they win a scrum as the ball goes to ground and becomes unplayable.
Crowley himself feeds the scrum in Casey’s absence, and he’ll stand in at nine in general for the next eight minutes or so.
He clears with a box kick and back come Leinster into Munster real estate.
35′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Big, big jackal penalty win by Alex Nankivell which halts Leinster’s latest surge.
Two huge turnovers by Munster, who keep the deficit to six.
I don’t think we’re going to see Dave Kilcoyne again, by the way. Worth noting that Munster have already had to use two of their front-row replacements early in the game.
38′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Munster win a kick battle as Zebo — who has been excellent — clears into grass and McGrath shanks his clearance slightly. Munster’s lineout just outside the Leinster 10′, and Edogbo takes it.
Joe McCarthy has been excellent in his maul defence so far, and he causes havoc here again. Crowley eventually has to box kick it away.
40′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: A bit of kick tennis to finish the half and eventually, Ciarán Frawley says, ‘Enough’. And his prod into touch is almost intercepted by a flying Thomas Ahern!
It squeezes into touch, however, and Andrew Brace calls time on the half.
In appalling conditions, it’s been more chaotic than high-quality but it has certainly made for pulsating viewing.
Leinster take a six-point lead in at the break.
Catch you in a few minutes!
41′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Jack Crowley gets us back underway. Munster aren’t back to full complement yet — Craig Casey will be on for next play.
Leinster clear and Calvin Nash makes a nice half-break down the right. Munster win a penalty advantage outside the Leinster 22′. They move the ball well through the forwards and Crowley tries a crossfield kick out to Ahern, but it skims off his fingertips into touch.
Crowley going for the corner!
First big chance for Munster, here.
43′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Munster win another penalty at maul time and Crowley, this time, points towards the sticks.
He lets the shot clock run precariously close to zero and he winds up missing the kick from close range, albeit from a tricky angle to the right.
A let-off for Leinster and a big missed opportunity for Munster to get off the mark.
47′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: A Luke McGrath clearance from outside his own 22′ goes out on the full.
Munster ball and Munster survive a bit of lineout dysfunction. A botched call, but Leinster knock on in their attempt to steal.
So, a scrum now, instead, for Munster outside the Leinster 22′.
Munster survive a big Leinster shove and Casey and Crowley improvise down the blind. A nice half-break by Crowley and he chips down the line, but Keenan covers the in-goal.
Goal-line drop-out Leinster.
50′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Oh dear. Looks like a bad injury for Edwin Edogbo. He appeared to twist his right knee unchallenged. The medics are on, and Edogbo is going to be carted off.
He looks very upset. He’s been so unlucky with injuries, as have Munster in the second row in general.
Hopefully it’s not an ACL for Edogbo. We’ll find out during the week, I guess.
In the meantime, Thomas Ahern has shifted to lock and the 19-year-old Brian Gleeson comes on in the back row. He’ll play eight, with Jack O’Donoghue shuffling to blindside.
51′ – MUN 0-6 LEIN: Porter is pinged for not driving straight at the scrum. He doesn’t agree with that one.
Crowley will go for goal from just outside the Leinster 10′.
52′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Probably not his cleanest strike with such slippery conditions underfoot — but Crowley still manages to convert.
Munster are off the mark, and there are three points between the two sides at Thomond.
53′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Leinster get a decent attacking platform outside Munster’s 22′ as Casey’s clearance box kick hangs up in the wind and eventually drifts into touch.
They win the lineout and go to the maul. Munster stop it effectively.
Leinster punch it up through McCarthy — but he’s stripped by Crowley! And away comes Jeremy Loughman.
Porter is pinged for going off his feet after Jack Conan had done extremely well to all but secure the ball back on Leinster’s side. Another Munster penalty — but Crowley misses touch!
A few moments later, Loughman is pinged for coming in from the side. Chance again for Leinster, now, inside the Munster 22′.
Chaos!
58′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Leinster pound away at Munster on the hosts’ 5′.
But IN COMES THOMAS AHERN WITH A HUGE STEAL!
Penalty Munster, and they escape after a serious spell of Leinster pressure.
On come Dan Sheehan and Jason Jenkins, meanwhile…
59′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Leinster get their own back! Joe McCarthy with a huge jackal penalty win just outside the Munster 22′, with Jeremy Loughman isolated.
Superb by the Ireland lock.
Big chance, now, to stretch the lead back to six points… Buuuut Harry Byrne clips the right-hand post with his kick!
A let-off for Munster and somehow, it’s still only 6-3 to the visitors.
64′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Brian Gleeson, who knocked on and got creamed by Jason Jenkins moments ago — in that order — is pinged for not rolling away just outside his own 22′.
A considerably easier kick for Harry Byrne — but wow. He misses again!
Some big errors from both out-halves in the last 10 minutes or so.
Leinster should really be out of sight with their last two kicks at goal, but Byrne has missed from either side of the posts.
Can’t stress enough, though, how tough the conditions are in Limerick. Difficult for place kickers to even gain solid footing with their standing feet!
68′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Huge jackal penalty won by Gavin Coombes — one-handed — just inside the Leinster half.
It’s too far out in this weather to go for points, so Crowley boots Munster deep into the Leinster 22′.
But Munster’s lineout dissolves again, as Ahern knocks on at the front under pressure from Ryan Baird!
Leinster clear to touch nearer halfway.
70′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Baird steals that lineout as well!
What an impact off the bench by the replacement blindside.
72′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Munster running out of time, now.
Leinster have smothered their attacking efforts really well, but the hosts’ lineout has also imploded in the conditions.
It’s tough to see where another Munster score could come from at this point, even though there’s loads of time and there are only three points in it.
74′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Leinster looking to control these last few minutes but they knock on as they go wide between the Munster 10′ and 22′.
But here’s the potential clincher: Leinster buckle Munster in the scrum and win a penalty!
76′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Leinster actually go to touch rather than kick for three. They’re going to try to run down the clock, if not score.
Short passes and forward carries inside the Munster 22′. The seconds ticking down for Munster.
78′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: Munster pinged for offside and Jeremy Loughman is yellow carded.
That should be the game.
Excellent work by Leinster to wind the clock down and now, with Loughman off, they opt for the scrum.
Oli Jager will have to come back on and Munster will sacrifice Calvin Nash.
79′ – MUN 3-6 LEIN: With Jager on at loosehead, Leinster win a penalty at the scrum.
They’ve opted for the shot at goal and, with less than 60 seconds to go, that’s effectively your ball game!
It’s going to be a superb, hard-fought win for Leinster at Thomond Park!
80′ – MUN 3-9 LEIN: Harry Byrne slots it home with the clock red, and Leinster seal the deal.
A fully deserved victory for Leo Cullen’s side, who dominated territory and just produced a better-quality performance than Munster overall.
Munster, in fairness, were thwarted by early injuries, but they rarely troubled their eastern neighbours in horrible conditions in Limerick.
Joe McCarthy named Player of the Match as Leinster do the regular-season double over Munster once again.
Another one-score game, but an ultra-satisfying victory for the men in blue.
Thanks for joining me for live updates.
Ciarán Kennedy will have a full report and reaction from Thomond Park shortly.
Enjoy the rest of your break, everyone, and catch you for the next one!
