PRO12: Munster score three tries to one to win the Boxing Day derby against Leinster
Last Updated: 28/12/14 7:29pm
Munster won their Boxing Day PRO12 derby against Leinster 28-13, scoring three tries to go with 13 points from the boot of fly-half Ian Keatley.
Tries from CJ Stander, Andrew Conway and Dave O'Callaghan were enough to see off a strong Leinster outfit that managed just one try through flanker Shane Jennings.
Keatley got the scoring underway with a shot at goal after Leinster were caugh offside, but his effort was equalled by Ian Madigan in the sixth minute.
It was all Munster from then as they put ten phases together and spread the ball to Ronan O'Mahony on the wing. After a scrum restart they then put another nine phases together, with the pressure eventually proving too much as Stander took a pass from Duncan Williams on the side of the ruck and beat Luke Fitzgerald to score the first try for the hosts.
Keatley missed the conversion before he and his opposite number traded penalties to take the score to 11-6 at half time.
From then on, it was all Munster. The hosts strung phase after phase together at will as they wore down a flagging Leinster defence.
In the fifth minute they kept possession through five phases before spreading the ball to Conway on the wing, and he negotiated defensive efforts from three Leinster defenders to cross the whitewash for Munster’s second try.
Keatley made no mistake with the conversion from out wide, taking the score to 18-6.
Munster’s pressure then began to turn into penalties as a frustrated Leinster tried to fight their way back into the game. Winger Darragh Fanning misjudged the ball being out of a ruck and was given 10 minutes in the bin, which also cost his team an immediate three points.
Duncan Williams then sniped to within five metres of the Leinster line as the third quarter drew to a close. O'Callaghan picked up from the base and ran over for Munster's third try, effectively ending the contest once Keatley added the conversion.
Leinster did manage to score a late try through Jennings but the comeback stopped there as Munster claimed the Irish derby honours.
