Sexton fires Leinster clear

Leinster claimed their first win at Thomond Park since 1995 thanks to Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton's late penalty.

Ronan O'Gara kicked all of Munster's points but his rival for the Ireland number 10 jersey had the final say, as Leinster beat their fierce rivals for the third time in a row.

Having missed a penalty just two minutes earlier, Sexton held his nerve to convert a 66th minute kick, moving Michael Cheika's men seven points clear at the top of the Magners League.

The win will also give them a boost ahead of next weekend's Heineken Cup quarter-final showdown with Clermont Auvergne.

The result owed much to Leinster's fine defence and territorial dominance as the game wore on, with full-back Rob Kearney's late first half touchdown proving to be the only try of the game.

O'Gara, Munster's captain in the absence of the injured Paul O'Connell, had a 100% kicking return with five successful penalties, but it was not enough as Sexton and Fergus McFadden landed three penalties between them and the former converted Kearney's try.

Munster seized the early initiative with an O'Gara penalty punishing a binding offence from CJ van der Linde, and the latter's Springbok colleague Jean de Villiers featuring in a thrilling right wing raid.

When Leinster captain Leo Cullen was yellow-carded in the 14th minute for a deliberate knock on, O'Gara gave the hosts a deserved 6-0 lead.

However, the numbers were evened up three minutes later as Donncha O'Callaghan was sin-binned for slapping the ball out of Shane Jennings' hands at a ruck, and Sexton landed the resulting penalty for Leinster's opening points.

Free-flowing

The first half was largely free-flowing but a needless check by Girvan Dempsey on de Villiers allowed O'Gara to make it 9-3.

Leinster hit back with a side-stepping break from Gordon D'Arcy and only frantic defending - Ian Dowling stopped Kearney just short of the try-line - kept the visitors out.

The attack did produce a second successful penalty, struck by McFadden as Sexton received attention.

O'Gara replied with another fine drive from the left, as Leinster were penalised for not retreating, and it looked to be advantage Munster as Sexton pushed a late penalty to the right and wide.

However, Leinster engineered a score in the dying seconds of the half, as a chip through from Isa Nacewa bounced awkwardly for Tomas O'Leary and Doug Howlett and the advancing Kearney gathered it to crash over in the corner.

Sexton fired over a tremendous conversion from wide out, handing Leinster the narrowest of leads at the break, 13-12.

Dictated

Leinster dictated play in the opening stages of the second period but O'Gara put Munster back in front, after Nathan Hines was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Dowling.

On the hour, Leinster went through a series of phases in the Munster half and worked two penalty chances for Sexton, the second of which he slotted from the left.

The Leinster out-half snatched at a 73rd minute drop goal as he tried to extend Leinster's lead, and the tension grew as Munster marched towards the visitors' 22, with the tireless Alan Quinlan leading the charge.

However, a knock on between O'Gara and Lifeimi Mafi undid all the good work and Leinster, with Nacewa almost getting through for an intercept try, were able to soak up the pressure in midfield and hold on for the win.