Guinness PRO12: Leinster 16-13 Munster
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 03/04/16 4:53pm
Leinster secured a PRO12 double over Munster and moved to the top of the table after a 16-13 victory at the Aviva Stadium.
Having already beaten their provincial rivals at Thomond Park in December, Leo Cullen's men took advantage of Connacht's loss to Ulster on Friday to move back into top spot with three rounds to go.
Johnny Sexton was the star for Leinster, finishing with all 16 points, but Munster fly-half Johnny Holland also impressed in only his third PRO12 start.
In front of a crowd of 43,108, Sexton's timely touchdown just before half-time ended Leinster's 260-minute try drought in the league, and left Munster trailing 10-6.
Holland, who started instead of Ian Keatley, had twice kicked the visitors in front before that, and he brilliantly converted his own 47th-minute try for a 13-10 turnaround.
But a couple of assured place-kicks from Sexton, with Keatley missing his only attempt of the night, had Leinster on the cusp of their first season's double over Munster since 2012/13.
They had to survive a frenetic late assault on their try-line, though, with Cian Healy in the sin-bin. Mike Sherry went closest for the men in red but Jamie Heaslip and Ben Te'o typified a Leinster defence that would not yield.
Munster got off the mark in the 13th minute, Holland slotting over a straightforward penalty after Simon Zebo had knocked on a flat pass from Conor Murray just a few metres out.
Lineout issues spoiled Leinster's attempts to respond, with Munster able to clear the danger in their 22 following an excellent steal by the lively Tommy O'Donnell.
Sexton opened Leinster's account from the kicking tee with 27 minutes gone, punishing a bloodied Donncha Ryan for not rolling away before the Munster lock was forced off.
A classy break from Rory Scannell preceded Holland's second successful penalty, but Ryan's replacement, Robin Copeland, saw yellow soon after for Munster's third maul offence in their 22.
Leinster took immediate advantage, pressing from a lineout drive before man-of-the-match Sexton got outside Francis Saili to raid in from close range, bouncing off the left hand post on the way. The conversion put four points between the sides.
However, Munster piled forward on the resumption, their pick and goes proving very effective before Holland took advantage of a missed tackle from Sean Cronin to score out wide on the left.
The Cork youngster's pinpoint conversion was cancelled out by Sexton's second successful penalty, two minutes later, as Leinster starlet Garry Ringrose began to make inroads in midfield.
Following Holland's departure near the hour mark, Keatley was wide with his one and only shot at the posts and Sexton soon sent Leinster back in front, rewarding Rhys Ruddock's accurate foraging at the breakdown.
Into the closing stages, Munster came with wave after wave of attack. Luke McGrath lifted the pressure by winning a ruck penalty for the hosts, but fellow replacement Healy's no-arms tackle on Dave Kilcoyne left them down to 14 men for the final four minutes.
Munster's well-drilled maul drew a kickable penalty and they went for broke by going to touch, but Heaslip's vital tackle on Sherry, followed by a Te'o hit that forced a knock-on, saw Leinster prevail in breathless fashion.
