Leinster stay on course for a third title in a row

Leinster will have a shot at a t hird successive Guinness Pro14 title after beating Munster 13- 3 in a cagey semi- final at a wet Aviva Stadium.

It was a scrappy encounter throughout, lacking the fireworks of the sides’ recent sixtry thriller, but a ninth Pro14 final appearance in 11 years was Leinster’s reward as they advance to meet Edinburgh or Ulster next Saturday.

Despite doubts over a double movement, Ronan Kelleher’s 27th- minute maul try was awarded and it put Leo Cullen’s men 10- 3 ahead at the break.

Leinster captain Johnny Sexton kicked the other points, in response to an early JJ Hanrahan penalty, and it was a sweetly- struck Sexton penalt y, 13 minutes from time, which condemned Munster to their fifth straight semi- final defeat in all competitions.

Narrow two- point losers of the provinces’ last meeting just 13 days ago, Munster grasped a fifth- minute lead this time with Hanrahan’s right boot rewarding a CJ Stander turnover penalty.

But Leinster t hen s ei zed the initiative. Sexton’s raking kick forced Keith Earls into an error. Now deep in the 22, the Leinster pack squeezed Kelleher over for his try, the young hooker brought to ground but managing to stretch out for the line and get the TMO’S confirmation. Sexton’s pinpoint conversion was followed by a penalty right on half- time for a seven- point buffer.

He sealed it in the second half with the final act of his 100th Pro14 appearance as he drilled over a hugely important penalty from the right.