MUNSTER and Leinster do battle this Saturday in the Guinness Pro 14 final in their first meeting in the decider since 2011.
That clash a decade ago was the last time Munster picked up silverware with Leinster winning five domestic and two Champions Cup titles in the meantime.
Leinster have also dominated the fixture with Munster in the last decade, winning 13 of the 15 competitive games between the sides.
Nonetheless, Saturday will act as a standalone game and before that check out the five most recent meetings between the old provincial rivals.
Leinster 24-9 Munster (2018/19 Pro 14 semi-final)
18 May 2019 at the RDS
Two second half tries helped Leinster to ease past Munster and into the Pro 14 final.
Ross Byrne kicked Leinster into the lead with a third minute penalty. A pair of Joey Carbery efforts helped Munster take the lead with the second coming after 24 minutes.
Byrne levelled with his second of the day and retook the lead for Leinster on the stroke of half-time with his third penalty.
On the restart Byrne extended the lead to six but Carbery was on hand to halve that ten minutes into the second half.
But with a man in the bin, Leinster and Sean Cronin made Munster pay with the first try of the day on 54 minutes, which Byrne converted.
Jame Lowe rounded off the scoring a minute from time with a well taken try to give Leinster a 24-9 win and a place in the Pro 14 final.
Munster 6-13 Leinster (2019/20 Pro 14)
28 December 2019 at Thomond Park
Ed Byrne’s early try proved the difference as Leinster ended Munster’s 21-mathc undefeated streak at Thomond Park.
The away side opened the scoring in the 9th minute as Ed Byrne burrowed over after an initial break by James Lowe. Ross Byrne added the extras.
Byrne made it a ten point game after 22 minutes with his second successful kick of the day.
The gap was 13-0 after a half hour as Byrne slotted over but that ws to be their final score of the evening.
JJ Hanrahan finally got Munster off the board on the stroke of half time as Leinster took a 13-3 lead into the dressing rooms.
Hanrahan had the margin back to seven with his second penalty five minutes after the restart. However, that was Munster’s final score as they couldn’t penetrate the Leinster tryline despite a number of opportunities to do so.
Leinster 27-25 Munster (2019/20 Pro 14)
22 August 2020 at the Aviva (behind closed doors)
After almost six months without a game, Leinster had just enough to defeat Munster in the return to Rugby at the Aviva.
Andrew Conway crossed the whitewash for the first try of the evening on 13 minutes with Munster going wide after a number of close calls.
Leinster had their reply after 20 minutes as Cian Healy dotted down with the Leinster pack barging over from a lineout maul.
JJ Hanrahan had Munster ahead with a penalty but Johnny Sexton pegged them back with one of his own.
On 35 minutes Hanrahan had Munster 13-10 in front but Leinster would have the final say of the half as Garry Ringrose pounced on Robbie Henshaw’s kick in behind the defence to pull the hosts 17-13 clear.
10 minutes into the second half and Leinster struck for their third try as James Lowe streaked down the touchline for the five-pointer that Sexton converted.
But with Devin Toner in the bin, Munster hit back and Keith Earls finished expertly in the corner to make it 24-20 with fifteen to play.
Ross Byrne made it a seven point game as he kicked over a penalty for Leinster after 69 minutes.
A couple of minutes later Munster had their third try of the evening as neat interplay between Hanrahan, Shane Daly and Chris Farrell set Andrew Conway down the line as he bullied his way over the whitewash.
But Hanrahan was unsuccessful with the difficult conversion and that would prove the difference as Leinster held on for another win over Munster.
Leinster 13-3 Munster (2019/20 Pro 14 semi-final)
4 September 2020 at the Aviva (behind closed doors)
Leinster got their third successive Pro 14 semi-final win over Munster in a low scoring clash at the Aviva.
JJ Hanrahan kicked Munster into 3-0 lead after 6 minutes with a well taken penalty.
On 28 minutes, Ronan Kelleher was adjudged to have scored after a maul saw the Leinster pack crash over the Munster tryline.
Johnny Sexton made no mistake with the conversion and his penalty on the stroke of half time had Leinster 10-3 clear at the break.
Munster did have a chance to reduce the gap on the hour mark but JJ Hanrahan’s penalty trailed wide.
Moments later Hanrahan missed a more kickable effort and Sexton was on hand to make him pay as he made no mistake with a kick on 67 minutes to make it 13-3.
Leinster held Munster at bay for the remainder of the game as the southern province’s losing streak against their interpro rivals continued.
Munster 10-13 Leinster (2020/21 Pro 14)
23 January 2021 at Thomond Park (behind closed doors)
Despite dominating in Thomond Park, Munster lost their fifth successive game to Leinster in Round 9 of the Pro 14.
Munster laid out their intentions early and JJ Hanrahan’s long range effort had them 3-0 up after 5 minutes.
It was 10-0 in the hosts favour after 12 minutes as Tadhg Beirne powered over for the games first try which Hanrahan converted.
But that was to be Munster’s final score of the game.
Johnny Sexton got Leinster off the board with a penalty. Hanrahan should have replied but saw his long range effort hit the post just prior to the half.
But with the clock in the red, Leinster worked their way up the field and earned a penalty which Sexton kicked over as they trailed 10-6 despite being out of the game for the most part of the half.
Hanrahan had another effort on the restart to extend Muster’s lead but dragged his effort right and wide.
The only score of the half would come in the 71st minute and it proved the decisive one as Jordan Larmour finished well in the corner to extend their winning streak over Munster
The post Munster v Leinster: Last Five Meetings appeared first on Sporting Limerick.
