Leinster had seemed reasonably well equipped to cope with the post-Johnny Sexton era but he had barely been acclaimed by a near-capacity Aviva crowd than the normally durable Ross Byrne suffered an injury to his left arm.
Facing into a meaty block of games featuring three more interpro derbies either side of their opening two Champions Cup games against La Rochelle and Sale, Byrne is the province’s biggest concern after being forced off in the seventh minute when attempting to prevent Craig Casey score Munster’s opening try in the fifth minute.
Speaking after Leinster’s hard-earned 21-16 win, needless to say Leo Cullen was not in position to shed any light on the extent of Byrne’s injury pending a scan.
‘It’s arm related. I don’t know, I hope it’s not too bad. We’ll get assessed. We’ll see.”
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Byrne’s early loss meant Ciarán Frawley, one of only two backs in a 6-2 split which might well have the La Rochelle game in mind, was introduced and left Cullen with only one more back on his bench for the remaining 73 minutes or so.
“We were talking about that 6-2 split so it gets tested pretty quickly what six or seven minutes into the game. You’re 7-0 down and 50 per cent of your ‘two’ is gone,” admitted Cullen.
But there was also plenty to admire in Frawley’s probing, assured display.
“Ciarán stepped in well. I thought he was excellent. Controlled the game. Even though he was played at 15 at the start of the season for us, the way roles are, particular with someone like Ciarán, he’s comfortable stepping up as that first receiver and that interplay between your 10, 12 and 15 - it’s great to have that second ball-player there.
“He’s been excellent for us this season. Hopefully that will be the case going forwards as well so he stepped in, kicked his goals and it was a pretty accomplished and comfortable performance from him.”
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“I thought it was a great spectacle because commitment is what you want to see. Everyone giving all they have on both teams.
“Munster started a little bit stronger than we did. We were probably a bit inaccurate to start. After we go 10-0 down we probably looked a bit more dominant at that period of the game.”
“Jamison [Gibson-Park] scored that breakaway try but we had some chances prior to that. And we probably had a chance and Dan gets over from that maul and we probably had a chance just before half-time as well, we just didn’t quite execute. It’s what 14-10 at half-time.
“At the start of the second half, Munster were probably on top a little bit in that period again.
“Defensively I thought we stood up well. They had a couple of break outs and we had some chances and it was only until Jordan scored and we went eight points clear at that stage.
“We had other chances to score again but we just didnt take them. It was a bit of that. It was to-ing and fro-ing wasn’t it?
“If you think what six or seven minutes to go, we’re defending in our 22 on the back of that Conor Murray break up the sideline. We get down the edge but I thought it was a really good defensive set because we get back to our point and we look, not comfortable, that’s the wrong word, but we look like we’re dominated collisions again and we eventually come up with a turnover, which is pleasing but then we get down to the other side of the field we can’t quite nail that last moment.
“That was the make-up of the game, in many ways. It had a bit of everything so, overall, we’re delighted to get a win. Four points and it potentially could have been five at the end.”
Graham Rowntree agreed that the game was a fine advert for Irish rugby and expressed his pride in his team’s performance.
“Where was it won and lost? I thought it was a hell of a game. We will look at ourselves, our composure when we get near the opposition try line. We were held for a goal line drop out early in the game and if we had scored there it changes the context of the next quarter.
“There’s elements of the third quarter as well that we will look at what we can do better on the opposition try line, look at those chances and where we can make better decisions. But that was a proper team, 50,000 people at the Aviva, and I’m immensely proud of our performance.”
