Leinster dominated airplay during the URC showdown at Croke Park, displaying exceptional skill in lineout play on both the offensive and defensive ends. Key takeaways were witnessed from James Ryan and Max Deegan, who managed to swipe a few Munster throws and notably disrupted several more. This resulted in Munster being forced to take a more cautious approach and lose vital attacking chances.
Nonetheless, there was one breach in Leinster’s control. Seán O’Brien’s try was astutely facilitated by a late intervention from John Hodnett lifting Jean Kleyn, followed by the perfect timing of wing Munster Gavin Coombes’s internal pass.
Leinster, on the other hand, utilised this stage effectively to initiate their offences. Munster players Jack O’Donoghue and Tadhg Beirne did manage to disrupt Leinster’s seamless possession a few times, and the host team must have felt peeved for not leveraging their initial-phase dominance more. A second-half with zero additions to the scoreboard is worrisome.
Graham Rowntree, Munster’s head coach, expressed disappointment post-match. Much of this was owing to the fact that Munster’s centre Tom Farrell and left wing Seán O’Brien continually outmanoeuvred Leinster’s defence, thereby routinely gaining the upper hand.
O’Brien’s performance was exceptional, given that he had just returned from Emerging Ireland’s tour earlier last week. With limited space, he managed to bypass opposition players and consistently helped his team advance. Farrell also put on a commendable show, achieving the highest number of successful carries, outmanoeuvring defenders and making offloads more than any other participant from both teams.
Despite the team’s ability to best more defenders (27 compared to Leinster’s 14) and their dynamism that enabled higher offloads (14 compared to 5), the group still demonstrated a lack in composure and skills during pivotal attack moments. Their effectiveness in decision-making was highly reduced due to physical strain.
Concerning Leinster, their scrum issues persisted, leading to the giving up of three penalties and a freekick. The actions of referee Chris Busby were inconsistent, with different sets of rules seeming to apply pre- and post-interval, which resulted in Leinster being most at fault. The penalty awarded when Stephen Archer broke loose before Andrew Porter was flagged for moving about should have been overturned. This may indicate a disliking for Leinster’s scrum play among referees.
Our attention is brought to the impeccable performance of 36-year-old Stephen Archer, who, apart from becoming the top tackler in his team (with 17 tackles), proved vital off the pitch and was the game’s second-highest tackler.
Prop Jeremy Loughman, representing Munster, overcame his ruptured cheekbone and a swiftly swelling eye to put in a remarkable performance. From the side of Leinster, Tadhg Furlong’s excellent display is worth mentioning, along with Porter’s ubiquitous presence off the scrum, and Thomas Clarkson’s impactful performance that included a try-saving tackle.
Jamie Osborne of Leinster demonstrated a performance that surpassed his age. Despite being just 22, his game reflected an understanding and attention to detail of someone much older. He made consistent correct decision and tried hard to balance out Leinster’s sideward movement in attack.
The back play by Leinster appeared flat, both in a literal and metaphorical sense, with players unexpectedly adopting a deep position and picking up speed. In addition, their instances of passing too early without occupying any defenders was excessive. However, efforts to correct this by players like Garry Ringrose, James Lowe and Hugo Keenan, who tried to step in Munster’s drift defence, were notable.
Osborne demonstrated his power and agility by utilising his foot skills and strength, enabling him to penetrate the Munster defence’s soft spots and utilise a few offloads. He showcased potent and aggressive tackling, with a success rate of 100%, as he pursued red-shirted ball carriers and forcefully pushed them backwards. His capacity to influence key matches in numerous roles is noteworthy.
Doris and Beirne stood out in the battle of the breakdown
Despite neither team being able to fully capitalise on the ball’s momentum to carry out their offensive strategies, due to the fierce contest at the breakdown, the two captains – Caelan Doris from Leinster and Tadhg Beirne from Munster – were successful in curtailing their rival’s progress.
Doris, a worthy man-of-the-match, secured three turnovers at the breakdown and managed to draw a few penalty concessions. It was encouraging to see him utilise his footwork again during his ball carrying, helping him to manoeuvre around or bulldoze through some tacklers.
Despite some decisions going against his team, Beirne secured a few steals and demonstrated a strong effort across all aspects of the game. His understandable irritation did not deter him from putting in a typically diligent and efficient performance.