No one will quibble with Munster's triumph at a rain-sodden Donnybrook last night, a victory that earned them the Guinness-sponsored interprovincial championship: it was the first time in the province's history that they have managed back-to-back successes in the competition.
They played the deteriorating conditions - the rain swept down in the second half - with more intelligence and elicited high quality performances from their `game breakers' - none more so than Ireland hooker Keith Wood.
Leinster largely succeeded in negating the Garryowen man's bullocking charges with authoritative tackling on the fringes but failed to intercede on 13 minutes when Wood conjured a scintillating try, having escaped the shackles of the back row. Munster out-half Ronan O'Gara showed tremendous hands to take Peter Stringer's poor pass when exploring the short side from a ruck on halfway. O'Gara passed one-handed around the back of two tacklers and Wood set off 40 metres from the Leinster line. Gordon D'Arcy missed him badly and with a now trademark sidestep, the Munster hooker wrong-footed the cover and accelerated away to touch down under the posts. It was the highlight of the evening.
There was much to admire, though, in the manner in which Munster grafted up front, disrupting their opponents' set piece play and earning huge yardage through the work-rate and speed of their back row. Shannon flanker Alan Quinlan earned the man-of-the-match accolade but David Wallace and Anthony Foley could reasonably have laid claim to the cheque.
The trio ensured that Munster enjoyed continuity in possession and this, allied to O'Gara's shrewd punting - he was provided with a largely excellent service by Stringer - ensured that Leinster found themselves under constant pressure. The home side facilitated Munster in their victory with a plethora of errors, gifting the winners two tries.
Few escaped the malaise, apart from notably Victor Costello and Declan O'Brien and behind the scrum Shane Horgan. Denis Hickie looked sharp in possession beating John Kelly with ease on a couple of occasions but the fact that the St Mary's wing received his first pass in an orthodox backline movement after 69 minutes and 15 seconds of the match highlighted Leinster's inhibition to utilise their talented three-quarter line in a constructive manner.
Barry Everitt's early drop goal should have settled any nerves but instead it was Munster that found a rhythm. Their first try came on seven minutes, greatly facilitated by English referee Steve Landers. He penalised Leinster at a lineout after Munster had taken an eternity to thrown the ball in, missed Peter Clohessy knocking on the ball in contact with Costello and then allowed what might charitably have been called a `dubious pass' - it seemed forward - from Foley to right wing John O'Neill. The latter took his opportunity very well to score in the corner.
O'Gara failed to convert but managed to add the extra points to Wood's score and O'Neill's second try on 22 minutes, this one following a dreadful mix-up between John McWeeney and D'Arcy. The out-half added a penalty before his hospital pass to Killian Keane on halfway went loose and Horgan picked up to race 40 metres for a try under the posts. Everitt converted.
Munster added a further 10 points in the second half through a try from Anthony Foley following good work by Galwey and Quinlan, converted by O'Gara, who added a penalty.
