Leinster 13 Munster 9:Leinster breathed new life into their season and put another one over their bitter rivals after a typically bruising and frantic provincial derby. As so often in the past, Brian O'Driscoll was Leinster's match-winner but the overall team performance will have been hugely pleasing for their under-fire coach Joe Schmidt.
O’Driscoll pounced for the game’s only try with nine minutes remaining, scooting over after being sent clear by Sean O’Brien’s smart offload, to put Leinster in front for the first time in a tight contest.
Predictably, Munster surged upfield from the restart in a desperate effort to snatch the points but Leinster, with O’Driscoll to the fore, threw their bodies on the line and their defence held firm.
With a Heineken Cup clash against Racing Metro looming on the horizon, this was a timely reminder that Leinster haven’t suddenly become a poor side. And Munster, despite tasting defeat for the fifth successive time in this encounter, will have plenty of positives to take into next week’s meeting with London Irish.
"We’ve taken a bit flak, and deservedly so, over the last few weeks, but our pack fronted up today,” O’Driscoll said after the match.
“A big victory against a top quality side like Munster, who up until tonight were unbeaten in the competition, will do us wonders and we can use this as a stepping stone going into the Heineken Cup.”
Three defeats in four Magners League games had put Schmidt under immediate pressure, and the visit of Munster to the Aviva Stadium, with a 100 per cent start behind them, spelled trouble. A geed-up Munster won the early collisions, and a quick turnover led to a fourth minute penalty which Ronan O'Gara converted from inside the 22.
Centres Lifeimi Mafi and Sam Tuitupou laid down a marker with some purposeful runs, but Leinster's defence stood up to the visitors' opening barrage and an O'Gara drop goal was charged down by flanker O'Brien.
Some solid line-out work by Devin Toner and a midfield bust from Dominic Ryan helped Leinster get on the front foot and Isa Nacewa, having missed his first shot at the posts, conjured up the game's first real line-break.
He took advantage of a slip from Tuitupou to thunder into the Munster 22, with Gordon D'Arcy and Ryan in support. Munster scrambled back to cut off the options, eventually coughing up a penalty which Nacewa landed from in front of the posts.
It was nip and tuck for the remainder of the half, with the midfield suffocated and both sides guilty of losing their discipline at the breakdown.
Johne Murphy threatened out wide on the left for Munster, the ball just beating him to touch after he had hacked on a clever chip through from Tomas O'Leary. O'Gara also missed a penalty on the left as the half closed with the sides level at 3-3.
Leinster full-back Rob Kearney tried his luck from a long range penalty, drawing it to the right and wide, and was then the victim of a high tackle from Mafi who was sent to the sin-bin.
With O'Leary and Denis Leamy leading the charge, 14-man Munster responded strongly and O'Gara kicked them back in front, punishing D'Arcy for a ruck offence.
A trademark run and offload from O'Driscoll sent O'Brien storming towards the Munster line, with Richardt Strauss following up on a secondary drive. The pressure yielded a penalty which Nacewa slotted over for 6-6. Hands in the ruck from Strauss spoiled that good work and O'Gara effortlessly stroked over his third successful penalty, with just over 20 minutes remaining.
The game was there for the taking and Schmidt's side stepped up to the mark, pinning Munster back as they began to make better use of possession. O'Leary had to put a try-saving tackle in on O'Brien after a jinking run from Kearney. Tuitupou put in some earth-shuddering tackles in midfield, but O'Driscoll was beginning to find more space as the men in red tired.
With time running out, a chink in Munster's armour was found on the right wing where the impressive O'Brien burst past Warwick and threw a backhanded pass out of the tackle for the supporting O'Driscoll to run in from the right.
Nacewa added the extras and the four-point gap was enough to see Leinster complete their first five in-a-row over Munster since the 1930s.
Leinster:R. Kearney, Horgan, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, Nacewa, Boss, Healy, Strauss, Ross, Hines, Toner, D. Ryan, O'Brien, Heaslip.
Replacements:Reddan for Boss, Sexton for Horgan, both 56, van der Merwe for Healy 61, Shawe for Ross, Ruddock for Heaslip, both 77.
Not used:Harris-Wright, Galarza, McFadden.
Munster:Warwick, Howlett, Mafi, Tuitupou, J. Murphy, O'Gara, O'Leary, du Preez, Varley, Hayes, O'Callaghan, D. Ryan, Quinlan, Ronan, Leamy.
Replacements:Wallace for Quinlan 56, Horan for du Preez, O'Driscoll for Ryan, both 64.
Not used:Henry, Darragh Hurley, Deasy, Stringer, Denis Hurley.