Munster Let Lead Slip As Larmour Strikes Decisive Blow

Jordan Larmour’s 68th-minute try ripped the result out of Munster’s grasp as Leinster triumphed 13-10 in a real dogfight of a Guinness PRO14 derby at Thomond Park.

Table-topping Munster had been the better team up to that point, but the defending champions produced a real moment of class to put Larmour over in the right corner.

It was tightly poised at half-time, Tadhg Beirne’s try under the posts giving the hosts a 10-6 lead with out-halves JJ Hanrahan and Jonathan Sexton landing two kicks each.

The second half was scoreless until replacement Ross Byrne’s grubber kick led to Larmour’s decisive try. Byrne’s conversion was enough to seal a smash-and-grab win.

A number of players, including Beirne, the Guinness player-of-the-match, grasped the opportunity to impress Ireland head coach Andy Farrell ahead of Monday‘s Six Nations squad announcement.

Chasing their first victory over Leinster since December 2018, an early long-range penalty from Hanrahan set up a very encouraging start for Munster.

Even better followed in the 11th minute, their forwards showed impressive continuity through 13 phases before second row Beirne – supported by a big latch from Peter O’Mahony – burrowed over for a converted score.

A jinking run from the returning Garry Ringrose, coupled with some sharp phase-building, got Leinster firing early in the second quarter. Sexton sent over a straightforward penalty.

With Munster’s error count increasing, Sexton and Larmour kicked intelligently to pin them back. However, the visitors could not convert from two close-in scrums and a lineout, leaving Beirne to pick up a vital turnover penalty.

Right on the edge of his range, Hanrahan hit the post just before the interval, and a late Leinster response allowed Sexton to pull back three more points.

Hanrahan had a poor penalty miss early on the resumption, before Munster, who were showing more variety in attack, were left to rue a lineout steal by James Ryan.

Mike Haley had to concede a five-metre scrum from a clever Larmour kick, but Beirne forced a relieving 55th-minute penalty at the breakdown just as Leinster were poised to strike.

Nonetheless, Leinster’s persistence, exemplified by influential scrum half Luke McGrath, paid off. Off a lineout, Byrne kicked through for Hugo Keenan to link with Larmour and he stepped inside Keith Earls to touch down.

With the rain adding to the difficulty, Byrne added a classy conversion. Munster could not respond to that sucker puncher of a try, losing to their fiercest rivals for the fifth time in a row.

Giving his reaction afterwards, Munster head coach Johann van Graan said: “The players gave it everything out there, a lot of work-rate, effort and belief. Small margins, that ball hits the post on the stroke of half-time.

“We didn’t convert that opportunity, and credit to Leinster, a special try, one of our guys slips and the bounce goes their way. A very fiercely-contested Irish interpro.

“We came up against the champions tonight and we’re literally a penalty away, which is incredibly frustrating. A lot of hurt in the changing room. Like I said, if you put your heart into it, and that’s exactly what we did, look, we came up short.”

Leo Cullen, whose Leinster side have closed within a point of Ulster at the top of Conference A, commented: “It took us a while to settle into the game. I thought we had a slow start into the game, don’t deal well particularly with some of the aerial challenges.

“That gave Munster a lot of access and territory, even the lineout they played at the start and we only really then kick into gear, we’re 10 points down. So, huge credit to the guys in terms of the way they fought their way back into the game.

“There were some big moments in the game, I thought we had a lot of pressure around the half hour mark but didn’t come away with anything. And then again in the second half when we had the sustained pressure down here, but didn’t score again.

“Thankfully those moments didn’t come back to haunt us. I thought the players held their nerve well and the bench came on and added some good energy. Overall we’re pleased to get a win but it was a far from perfect performance.”