TAKE IT AS DREAD IN CAPITAL

More Munster misery at Aviva as Blues stand tall

Leinster 35 25 BY MIRROR REPORTER AN understrength Leinster side rose to the occasion at the Aviva to deny Munster a home quarter-final in the United Rugby Championship.

Four tries in 22 minutes – with Scott Penny’s opener coming inside 90 seconds – made for a highly entertaining first half which ended 15-12 in the table toppers’ favour.

Ending up in sixth place, Munster will travel to Ulster in the last eight.

Returning to the scene of their heartbreaking European exit, Johann van Graan’s men were stunned when Ciaran Frawley’s cross-field kick played in Penny in the right corner.

After fly-half Ross Byrne tagged on a penalty for 8-0, Munster’s stand-in captain O’donoghue clawed back five points with an excellent finish out wide from a long Keith Earls pass.

Ever-alert full-back Haley sniped in under the posts in the 16th minute, making it a quick-fire double for the visitors.

Jordan Larmour’s electric run inspired Leinster’s second try, finished by scrum-half Foley after Frawley’s midfield break. Byrne made it 15-12.

However, with Leinster winger Rob Russell binned for a deliberate knock-on, Murray scooped up a breaking ball from a Haley bomb for a gift of a score.

Joey Carbery converted and then cancelled out a Byrne penalty, only for Leinster’s second string to lift their game.

Foley’s brilliant 50:22 kick led to the penalty try, with Reds hooker Scannell also seeing yellow.

O’loughlin followed up with a super bonus-point effort, the initial damage caused again by Larmour.

Carbery chipped away with his second penalty, yet a long-range strike from Byrne settled it.