Leinster 16-6 Munster: Home side claim record fourth PRO14 title in a row; Munster's trophy drought goes on
Leinster win record fourth PRO14 title in a row after a bruising victory over fierce rivals Munster at the RDS in Dublin. Munster's trophy drought, by contrast, stretching back to 2011, goes on. Jack Conan scored the only try, with Ross Byrne adding three penalties and a conversion.
By Michael Cantillon at RDS Arena
Last Updated: 28/03/21 10:47pm
Leinster claimed a record fourth PRO14 title in a row on Saturday after a 16-6 victory over Munster - whose 10-year trophy drought continued at an overcast RDS.
In a tight and intensely physical contest, Leinster No 8 Jack Conan got the only try of the final as Munster's second-half mistakes left them precious little territory and possession.
Ross Byrne and Joey Carbery traded two penalties each to leave the half-time score 6-6, but the second period saw the defending champions pull away and leave Munster scoreless.
Johann van Graan's side have not won a piece of silverware since 2011 and Saturday's defeat was their third final loss in the PRO14 since that triumph (2015, 2017, 2021).
Both sides must now prepare for pivotal European Cup Round of 16 ties next weekend, with Leinster hosting Toulon next Friday and Munster hosting Top 14 leaders Toulouse on Saturday.
Munster made a poor start to the contest as wing Andrew Conway spilled Byrne's kick off, before scrum-half Conor Murray was bundled into touch while attempting to retrieve the situation.
From the consequent lineout, a series of intense Leinster phases was eventually ended when Munster's Peter O'Mahony went off feet at a ruck and Byrne could tap over the simple effort from close range off the tee for an early 3-0 lead.
In the next attack, lock Jean Kleyn appeared to be caught high by Andrew Porter in the tackle, but there was no TMO review and the game resumed with a Leinster scrum after a Munster forward pass.
Another penalty against Munster for prop John Ryan not rolling away allowed Leinster to kick to the corner, and though Munster defended strongly from the set-piece, hooker Niall Scannell was next to be penalised for going off feet at a breakdown.
This time Leinster chose to point to the sticks, and Byrne duly obliged off the tee for 6-0 after 11 minutes.
Munster responded immediately following the restart as a huge Kleyn tackle on Cian Healy forced Leinster onto the back-foot and flanker Rhys Ruddock to come in at the side. Carbery rewarded such work by dispatching the very kickable effort to reduce the deficit by three.
More good defensive work from Kleyn and Munster centre Damian de Allende allowed the visitors to exit their half in the next phase of play, but they couldn't make anything of the territory when Chris Farrell's long pass drifted off the park.
Munster were soon back into the hosts' half when Leinster were caught offside, but despite breaking down the right, Leinster conjured a huge counter-ruck turnover within their 22 to relieve the pressure.
An ill-advised quick lineout throw from Keith Earls deep in his own 22 put Munster under all sorts of pressure near the half hour mark, with Leinster's Scott Fardy denied a try only through outstanding defensive work from Gavin Coombes and CJ Stander to hold the ball up in-goal.
Leinster attacked again off the resultant five-metre scrum, but the Munster defence was superb, pushing the Leinster attack back until flanker Josh van der Flier was penalised for obstruction ahead of the ball.
Hugo Keenan would create the next opening with Leinster on top, as he scythed through the Munster line off a Van der Flier offload and into the 22 before passing to Robbie Henshaw, who was stopped only by a desperate Farrell tackle. Earls then came up with an intercept to steal the ball back.
Playing into a stiff breeze, Munster were struggling to get out of their half with kicks as the half drew to a close, and it was only when Stander won a breakdown penalty just within his own half they earned some respite.
Munster skipper O'Mahony and co surprisingly chose to have a kick at goal from distance and into a stiff wind, with Murray handed the tee, but his effort dropped just wide.
With two minutes left of the half, Munster were handed another opportunity to level the game with a penalty, but Carbery's effort from 40 metres or so struck the post and stayed out.
Van Graan's charges would head into the break level, however, when in the very next piece of play, Murray was caught high and Carbery drove through the uprights for 6-6.
Into the second period, Munster - much like the first half - were slow out of the blocks as a Kleyn knock on in midfield was followed by the concession of a scrum penalty, inviting Leinster into the 22.
Once again, Leinster were held up over the try-line at the first attempt, but Munster's tireless defence was soon breached as Conan sniped over for the opening try of the final on 47 minutes.
Carbery's restart drifted dead as Munster backed up mistakes with mistakes, and with it struggled to get into the game.
After a knock on in the air, a scrum penalty against Munster replacement tighthead Stephen Archer then followed, handing Byrne and Leinster the chance to stretch their lead out to a commanding 10 points, but the Leinster out-half struck wide.
A Coombes breakdown penalty stemmed Leinster's next sequence as Munster finally earned some territory into the Leinster half, with an hour gone on the clock.
Leinster's Ryan Baird - barely on the pitch from the bench - ended the Munster attack brilliantly, however, stripping Stander of the ball in the 22, and when Munster put together 14 phases of attack in response, a Kleyn knock on saw them lose all momentum.
A fantastic Luke McGrath tactical kick then preceded a mis-cued Murray box-kick, from which Munster were offside and this time Byrne would make no mistake to put the home side 16-6 ahead with just 11 minutes left.
It was to prove an unassailable lead, with replacement Munster nine Craig Casey tapping and running a late penalty before knocking on to quell any faint hopes of a miraculous late comeback.
