Ryan Bailey reports from Thomond Park
IT’S HARD TO accurately assess Leinster’s performance on a night when the integrity of the contest was changed irrevocably by the first-half dismissal of James Lowe, but what is for certain is that Leo Cullen’s side were very much the architects of their own downfall.
The way the fixture had fallen on a Saturday, three days after the traditional St Stephen’s Day slot, allowed Cullen more scope to call upon what was notionally a first-choice team, but Leinster arrived in Limerick not only locked and loaded, but in an uncharacteristically frenzied state.
Leinster suffered just their third defeat of the season against Munster. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Their usual composure and conviction went awry in the midst of a feral occasion, as they conceded 14 penalties and barely played a quarter of the game with a full complement, after yellow cards were brandished to Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong and Lowe saw red.
Neither Cullen or Johnny Sexton had any qualms or quibbles with Frank Murphy’s decisions and both coach and captain were in agreement that Leinster’s discipline was not good enough in their 26-17 defeat to Munster.
“You can’t play the game for as long as we did with 13 or 14 men, it’s just too hard,” Sexton said.
“Again, it’s just about having that clear thought process in a red-hot environment here. It’s a very special place to play and you can either rise to the challenge or you can walk out the gate.
“Some teams come here and get beaten no ends up but we didn’t do that. I’m proud of the lads for how we stuck in there but you can’t blame any one person for the cards because no one went out to high tackle someone or no one went out take someone out in the air.
“It’s just us needing to be better in this environment where you don’t do those things.”
Most encouraging for the defending European champions in defeat was the admirable spirit they showed in the second period despite the numerical disadvantage to keep the contest alive until Keith Earls intercepted Ciaran Frawley and streaked clear from 80 yards.
Cullen’s side rebounded with intent after the break and their forward pack regained the initiative through the lineout maul, which was the source for James Tracy’s close-range try to reduce the arrears to just six points.
Sexton’s withdrawal on the hour mark — it was confirmed afterwards that it was a pre-ordained plan — may have taken some of the momentum out of the visitors’ comeback, but two lineout malfunctions inside Munster territory was the killer blow.
Cullen was asked in his post-match press conference if there was a temptation to leave Sexton out there, now that Leinster — who ultimately suffered their first defeat in eight games — had worked their way back into the game with 20 minutes remaining.
“It is because you want your experienced guys out there that have been through, not necessarily that scenario but they’ve been through so much in the game and they’re able to adapt easier,” he explained.
“Having said that, Ciaran [Frawley] will be better for the experience I think and we stuck to the plan. We did question ourselves at the time but we stuck to the plan ultimately.