Brilliant Leinster silence the Red army

By Aidan Corr

in Croke Park



BY half time in this tense Heineken Cup semi-final, Munster knew they were facing one of their biggest challenges of the last two seasons.

Trailing 11-6, their first half performance was well below what we have come to expect from the reds and unless they could unleash a second 40 minutes of 2006 and 2008 vintage, they would bid farewell to their chances of a unique league and cup double.

Apart from a flurry after four minutes and a stunning break by Keith Earls, Munster created no try chances. Even when Leinster were reduced to 14 men with Cian Healy sin-binned, the southern province failed to take control and some of the knock-ons, poor passes and weak defending was not something we associate with this great side.

Leinster went in front after 15 minutes. Stan Wright and Leo Cullen forced the yards and Filipe Contepomi dropped a neat goal. Munster responded with a Ronan O’Gara penalty after Healy was show yellow for a late tackle on Dowling but Leinster bossed most of the remaining 24 minutes.

Rocky Elsom again found a gap in the red line and after Contepomi had to retire injured, Jonathon Sexton marked his arrival on the field by landing a Leinster penalty that put them 6-3 in front with 26 minutes gone.

The almost inevitable try came on 31 minutes. Isa Nacewa again tore the Munster defence apart, Gordon D’Arcy took the pass and got over for the try and an 11-3 lead for Leinster.

O’Gara got a Munster three pointer just before the break.

The second half saw Leinster score a crucial try by Luke Fitzgerald and conversion by Sexton and while Munster dominated for a while they just could not get over the try line at the other end.

Then came the deciding score. O’Gara threw a weak pass in the direction of Paul O’Connell, the alert Brian O’Driscoll intercepted and won the 60 metre race to the Munster posts. Sexton’s conversion was a formality and Munster bade farewell to their title hopes for 2009.

Leinster: I Nacewa; S Horgan, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; F Contempomi, C Whitaker; C Healy, B Jackman, S Wright; L Cullen, M O’Kelly; R Elsom, S Jennings, J Heaslip

Replacements: J Sexton for Contepomi 25, G Dempsey for Fitzgerald 58, J Fogarty for Jackman 62, S O’Brien for S Jennings 73., D Toner for Cullen 78.

Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, L Mafi, K Earls, I Dowling; R O’Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell; A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy.

Replacements, B Murphy for Warwick 65; T Buckley for Hayes, D Fogarty for Flannery 71, N Ronan for Leamy 65; M Prendergast for Stringer 73, M O’Driscoll for O’Callaghan 73, D Hurley for Earls 77.

Referee, Nigel Owens, WRU.