Leinster 22 Munster 18:
The story? Brian O’Driscoll of course. When has it not been? A flash of brilliance on the last lap of his long goodbye should have been the tale of tonight but instead it was what looked a recurring calf injury that puts his rematch with Mathieu Bastareaud in grave doubt.
Leinster coach Matt O’Connor mentioned a stiff neck as being the centre’s main problem after the game, but the next 48 hours will tell how the great one came out of a brutal physical contest at the Aviva.
Munster put themselves in a position to do Leinster twice in the one season for the first time in ages but O’Driscoll’s try and the boot of Ian Madigan denied Ian Keatley’s flawless kicking its just reward.
It was easy to forget that this was an important Pro 12 encounter, not just a precursor to Europe, and an engaging occasion all on its own.
Leinster reported no major injuries at the start of last week but come tonight they were down four props. Munster were seemingly at the same codology with Peter O’Mahony’s hamstring.
After doing the coin toss with Jamie Heaslip, the Munster captain twinged the hamstring that ruled him out of the Italy game and saw him pulled off in Paris.
Yet Leinster’s propping shortage proved far more damaging than O’Mahony being replaced by CJ Stander.
Still, somehow, Leinster found a way to win.
Michael Bent was parachuted into the Ireland rugby team in November 2012 against the Springboks as a tighthead prop (back when there was a genuine shortage). The Kiwi is seen as a loosehead nowadays.
Not the most effective one though. Ed Byrne made the bench last night and while it was a little premature, keep an eye out for him (and his hooker twin Bryan who is tearing up trees for Clontarf in the AIL).
Carl Hayman, perhaps the greatest New Zealand tighthead of them all, could make mince meat of Bent if given the opportunity in Toulon next Sunday.
Cian Healy’s ankle has been patched up these past few months and must be once again. They’ll also probably need Jack McGrath to make it back.
As was always a possibility with Healy and McGrath crocked, Munster’s scrum dominance was the initial difference between the sides. Keatley’s first of four first-half penalties came after three minutes. However, it was Dave Kilcoyne getting the majority of the back slaps after the Leinster eight was wheeled into the Lansdowne turf.
Worst of all was Mike Ross having to put in a rare 70 minute-plus shift. He thought those days were gone but Tadhg Furlong and Marty Moore are not yet as durable as the master craftsman.
It was 6-0 after eight minutes with Bent almost certainly at fault.
Madigan pulled it back to 3-9 but scrum penalty number four came on the half hour. A psyched up Kilcoyne – perhaps revved by the Irish management overlooking him during the Six Nations – leaped away in delight as Keatley pushed it out to 3-12.
Approaching the break O’Driscoll’s trademark kick down the outside channel yielded an attacking five-metre scrum when Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald collared Felix Jones.
Madigan planted the chance from wide on the left only to miss his third strike from far right to leave Munster 12-6 ahead.
Time for Greg Feek to work some iPad magic, much like at the Millennium Stadium in 2011, and from the first engagement on the resumption of hostilities a steady platform allowed Eoin Reddan scamper up the touchline.
Article source: http://truthdive.com/2013/07/24/Woman-who-boasted-of-threesome-with-Irish-rugby-stars-courts-online-abuse.html
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Brian O"Driscoll takes centre stage in Leinster victory
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