Schools Interprovincial/Leinster Under 19 - 19 Munster Under 19 - 13: Conditions militated against quality rugby with a strong wind blowing an icy chill straight down the back pitch at Donnybrook yesterday but the combatants defied any elemental handicap to produce an excellent game.
Leinster just about merited their victory. Denied the considerable cutting edge of Luke Fitzgerald (out for eight weeks with a broken collarbone) and Vasya Artemiev, also injured, they managed parity with the visitors on the try count, honours even at one apiece.
Centre Aidan Wynne profited from a neat "show-and-go" from outhalf and captain Brian Collins who sliced through the Munster defence, drawing the final tackler, before releasing Wynne who cantered over unopposed. Collins added not alone the conversion but contributed the remainder of Leinster's points with a further four penalties.
The Castleknock outhalf made several fine breaks, the only criticism was that he was a little sluggish to kick and had to endure a couple of charge downs: his general performance though was very good. If the backs scored the points it was the pack that laid the foundation for a victory that seemed unlikely when Munster reduced the deficit to 10-6 early in the second half and with the backing of a strong wind.
The Leinster eight metaphorically rolled up their sleeves to chisel out the hard yards and none more so than their prop Cian Healy, who was outstanding. James Gethings was also a willing workhorse while the backrow worked extremely hard.
Munster's injury-time try from centre Tim Kenneally, converted by fullback Peter O'Sullivan, who also kicked two penalties, put a gloss on the scoreline that they deserved. Keith Earls was a constant threat in a powerful midfield axis alongside Kenneally but in Leinster's Jack Buggy found a worthy rival.
This issue was decided in the home side's favour largely on the strength of the pack's second-half display in an very entertaining encounter.
LEINSTER UNDER-19: M Twomey (St Michael's); C Murphy (Belvedere), A Wynne (Blackrock), J Buggy (St Mary's), N Cunningham (St Mary's); B Collins (Castleknock, capt), P O'Donohoe (Belvedere); C Healy (Belvedere), P Devitt (Belvedere) J Gettings (Gonzaga); R Copeland (Kilkenny), T Walsh (Castleknock); Z Farivarz (Blackrock), B Wojnar (St Gerard's), D O'Connor (Blackrock). Replacements: G Cowzer (CUS) for Wynne (half-time); P Grannell (CBC Monkstown) for O'Connor (46 mins).
MUNSTER UNDER-19: P O'Sullivan (CBC); R O'Connor (Rockwell), K Earls (St Munchin's), T Kenneally (PBC), M O'Driscoll (Rockwell); R O'Sullivan (Crescent), P Rowley (St Munchin's); R O'Neill (CBC), G Slattery (St Munchin's), B Rowley (Ard Scoil Rís); R MacCarthy PBC), P Murphy (CBC); R Allen (PBC), D Nathan (CBC), S O'Sullivan (CBC, capt). Replacements: S Hassett (St Munchin's) for Nathan (53 mins); J Power (PBC) for R O'Sullivan (53 mins); E Torrie (Newton) for O'Connor (63 mins).
Referee: A McDowell (IRFU).
