Munster 24-34 Leinster: Visitors triumph in Thomond Park thriller
Last Updated: 27/12/17 1:06pm
Jordan Larmour's 60-metre effort was the decisive score in a thrilling eight-try derby as Leinster defeated Munster 34-24 at Thomond Park.
The 20-year-old Leinster full-back, playing in his first festive inter-provincial derby, lit up the occasion with a superb solo-score and it was his try that put the brakes on a stirring comeback from Munster.
The afternoon's hosts had found themselves 5-27 down at the break due to tries from Dan Leavy and Robbie Henshaw along with a penalty try and ten points from Ross Byrne's boot.
However, the crowd at Thomond Park roared its approval as tries from Ian Keatley and Andrew Conway helped push Munster back in contention at 19-27 before Larmour struck.
In an enthralling encounter, Conway's second try of the afternoon did earn Munster a battling bonus point, but when the full time whistle sounded - they tasted defeat at home for the first time since February.
The visitors sprinted ahead early on as Leavy forced a penalty at the very first breakdown and Byrne made sure of the opening points inside two minutes. Like Leavy, Conway was also heavily involved in the early exchanges, testing out Barry Daly's defence in the Leinster 22. However, the visitors built a 13-0 lead in as many minutes.
Larmour and James Lowe - making his first appearance on Irish soil - injected pace in a free-flowing break from halfway, and with space on the opposite wing, Byrne's cross-field kick gave Leavy a simple run-in for his eighth-minute try.
The increasingly influential Leinster fly-half added a conversion from out wide and then nailed a penalty from the ten-metre line whilst Munster struggled with their discipline.
Johann van Graan's charges did manage to free up Alex Wootton along the left touchline and, with further momentum from a penalty and a clever maul move in the 17th minute, Murray dived over in the left corner for a much-needed five-pointer.
However, Munster entered the second quarter 20-5 down with full-back Conway in the sin-bin. His early tackle on Lowe, as the pair chased a Larmour kick up to the Munster try-line, saw referee Nigel Owens award a penalty try - having consulted with the television match official.
It got even worse for Peter O'Mahony and his team-mates in the 22nd minute as they allowed Rory O'Loughlin to counter from deep and link with the supporting Daly, whose pass out of contact sent Henshaw over to the right of the posts.
The tables were very much turned on the resumption, however, with Keatley sniping over for a galvanising try.
Suddenly, the momentum was all with Munster as Keatley converted and then added the extras to a classy score from Conway, who cut inside the otherwise impressive Larmour and finished smartly past Daly, the final defender, wide on the right.
A breathless and frenzied passage of play saw both defences come under waves of pressure.
Leavy stepped up for the visitors, winning a crucial turnover penalty in his 22, and Larmour took centre-stage two minutes later.
The Dubliner's pace and blinding footwork carved open the Munster defence on a kick return and the resulting try gave Leinster breathing space, with Byrne's conversion making it 34-19.
Conway's well-taken 76th-minute try ensured the hosts at least had something to show for their frenetic second-half comeback, but the visitors' bench - which included Tadhg Furlong and Josh van der Flier - helped them seal their second season double over Munster in three years.