MUNSTER, already without several key players, suffered further injury blows when they lost captain Diarmuid Barron (leg), loosehead Dave Kilcoyne (shoulder), and promising young lock Edwin Edogbo (achilles) in the 3-9 URC loss to Leinster at a sold-out Thomond Park on St Stephen’s Day.
The trio are all now under pressure to make the cut for the trip to The Sportsground in Galway and the tussle with Connacht on New Year’s Day (3pm).
In Limerick, all 12 points came from penalties, three from the boot of the visiting Harry Byrne and the other from Jack Crowley.
Leinster were 6-0 ahead at the interval.
The home side did earn a losing bonus point for their efforts.
Munster: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash (Oli Jager, 79), Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell (Seán O’Brien, 72), Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (Paddy Patterson, 61); Dave Kilcoyne (Jeremey Loughman, 18), Diarmuid Barron (captain) (Eoghan Clarke, 6), Oli Jager (Stephrn Archer, 65); Edwin Edogbo (Brian Gleeson, 50), Gavin Coombes; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen, 70), Jack O’Donoghue.
