MUNSTER CUT DOWN BY BLUES
Blues beat Munster by tiniest of margins to reach final
LEINSTER still have the double in their sights after a 16-15 win over Munster in a pulsating Pro14 semi-final 16-15 at the RDS.
Gerbrandt Grobler’s late try set up a nerve-jangling final minute, but the Champions Cup winners prevailed to set up a rematch with Scarlets in next Saturday’s decider at Aviva Stadium.
A seventh-minute try from Jack Conan was the difference between the sides at half-time, Leinster establishing a 10-3 lead with JJ Hanrahan and Ross Byrne exchanging penalties in front of an 18,930-strong crowd.
A momentum-shifting try from Keith Earls, two minutes into the second half, took the heat out of Jean Kleyn’s sin-binning, only for Byrne’s second penalty and a 76th-minute penalty from Joey Carbery to prove just enough for the hosts.
Having missed out on the European decider, James Lowe quickly made his mark on the interprovincial clash with two superb carries, twice leaving Simon Zebo in his wake, before the Kiwi winger’s slick offload sent Conan over to the left of the posts.
Carbery converted and the omens were not good for Munster, a knee injury forcing Jack O’donoghue off.
Hanrahan and Byrne swapped penalties, with CJ Stander and Rory Scannell increasing their influence for the visitors, who had Sam Arnold to thank for a try-saving tackle on man-of-thematch Lowe.
Although Munster had Leo Cullen’s men scrambling from a scrum penalty and Conor Murray’s pacy break, Zebo – in his last game for the Reds – blew an overlap chance and Hanrahan miscued his second shot at the posts in the 27th minute. The abrasive visitors also left points behind them when Stander was held up by James Ryan and Luke Mcgrath, and lock Kleyn’s reckless clearout on Byrne resulted in a yellow card.
Munster roared back after the restart, Earls expertly touching down near the left corner despite the presence of two defenders. Zebo (inset) cleverly set up the score which had roots in Robin Copeland’s turnover.
Replacement Ian Keatley’s missed conversion was followed by a Byrne three-pointer at 13-8, both packs landing blows with Munster thwarting the hosts’ maul and then Leinster winning a scrum penalty which Byrne pushed wide.
Carbery did not have the distance from a 49-metre penalty attempt, while Munster turned down a kickable shot and Leinster disrupted the subsequent lineout.
Leinster’s reserve front row were hugely influential, hooker James Tracy’s efforts at the breakdown breaking up Munster’s momentum and Andrew Porter delivering a crucial scrum penalty which Carbery landed for 16-8.
Munster stormed back and the TMO confirmed Grobler’s try at the base of the right post.
Keatley’s conversion had the gap down to a single point, but Leinster’s Max Deegan latched onto a ruck ball to force a final penalty and end Munster’s breathless comeback bid.