Munster in control with early blitz

Munster had a big one in them all right, and the sense of anti-climax amongst most of the record interpro crowd of 7,000 was palpable. This game had barely taken shape before it became abundantly clear that Munster would be supreme.

Establishing a brisk tempo from the off and virtually flawless, by the time they let Leinster into the game shortly before the break Munster were 19-3 to the good and the damage had been done.

As you half-suspected they would, Munster had the big men for the big occasion: Peter Clohessy and Mick Galwey up front and, inevitably, their wily, tough-as-nails Shannon back-row. Alan Quinlan was mighty again, Eddie Halvey - who tackled big all night - was his effective if sometimes unorthodox openside, and Anthony Foley did a mountain of selfless donkey work and showed his keen football brain.

Poor Leinster. They had their excuses but could have no complaints, for the manner Munster wrenched the Guinness Interpro title back from them left room for no argument.

Bedevilled by injuries in the build-up, Leinster were hit with a double whammy to Brian Carey and John McWeeney; leaving them with a converted winger cum full-back, Girvan Dempsey, playing in the centre and a scrum-half, Ciaran Scally, on the wing. McWeeney could be out for four weeks after tearing a tear duct, which will require an operation this morning, and defeat has consigned Leinster to third place and an anxious wait to see whether they are to play in the European Cup or the European Shield.

In truth, those changes may not have made that much difference. Munster had them in a grip which, while not vicelike, they never really looked like releasing. Leinster were blitzed by Munster's initial onslaught as the Munster ball-carrier forever sought to offload quickly in the tackle. When he did go to ground, the supporting red shirts blew the tacklers and spoilers away. The difference in the speed of ruck ball was the difference between a convertible and a truck being towed.

The livewire Peter Stringer cleared it away crisply to Barry Everitt, who was full of tricks and landed two sweet drop goals. Outside them, Killian Keane and John Kelly had good games too.

English referee Chris White was unobtrusively excellent. Aside from limiting the penalty count, he let rucks develop and so limited the number of scrums - which probably suited Munster given Leinster's superior scrum.

The tone was set from the off, Munster's much superior line-out utilising Quinlan at six for the first of many occasions, and four successive rucks ended with Everitt's snappy drop goal.

Leinster had a glimpse of a riposte when chasing Derek Hegarty's kick behind John Lacey and Brian Roche, but Carey was penalised for accidentally colliding with Roche to compound the sight of the unlucky centre hobbling off with a knee injury. With Martin Ridgle also sidelined, Den is Hickie came on and Dempsey moved to midfield.

Kelly then re-asserted Munster's supremacy with a twisting, elusive counterattack off Quinlan's pass going to ground, and though Pat Holden pulled off a trysaving tackle on Halvey, Keane landed the ensuing penalty.

A Trevor Brennan take and a Holden charge, supported by Victor Costello, led to McGowan opening Leinster's account but it was merely a blue blip on a sea of red. Leinster killed midfield ruck ball and Keane landed another penalty.

Quinlan was on fire now, and a trademark charge from deep off a wayward Leinster line-out saw Mick O'Driscoll and Halvey take the ball on. When it was flashed across the line, Roche and Foley handled smoothly to put Kelly over around the cover. Keane landed a fine conversion to make it 16-3.

A befuddled Leinster showed signs of frustration as first Costello charged late into Roche, for Keane to add another penalty, and then from the restart Brennan was yellow-carded for clattering into the back of an airborne Halvey.

Munster went for the jugular, as the pack and backs intermingled to attack in waves. To their credit, Leinster hung on by dint of not overcommitting to rucks and keeping the numbers out wide.

Everitt, supported by Halvey, made further inroads upon the restart, and Ellison did his leg-pumping bit twice in gaining valuable extra inches before Keane's penalty made it 22-3.

Leinster were obliged to go for seven points when three were in the offing, but though they couldn't control Costello's take, the big number eight was there to pick up loose Munster ruck ball ahead of Stringer and quickly give Scally the blind-side scoring pass. McGowan converted.

But even though Leinster had a bit of momentum, Munster kept making their tackles. Ellison led the line up the middle to cut off the supply lines to Leinster's outside runners, and even off scrums Halvey nailed Costello immediately.

Hickie did have a kick and run, the ball bouncing wickedly behind him, and Clohessy pulled off a stunning try-saving covering tackle on Nowlan. Now doing just enough, Munster's insurance points came after Shane Leahy stole Shane Byrne undercooked throw and Everitt kicked a 40-metre drop goal.

Five minutes from time, Munster were shaking hands and smiling on the sidelines. In the end, it was quite comfy for them.

Leinster: K Nowlan; J McWeeney, S Horgan, B carey, G Dempsey; A McGowan, D Hegarty; E Byrne, S Byrne, A McKeen, P Holden, G Fulcher (capt), T Brennan, V Costello, C Brownlie. Replacements - D Hickie for Carey (6 mins), C Scally for McWeeney (16), R Corrigan for E Byrne (52 mins), D O'Brien for Brennan (52), R Murphy for Hegarty (80). P Smyth for S Byrne (74), L Cullen for Costlelo (73).

Munster: B Roche; J Kelly, K Keane, R Ellison, A Horgan; B Everitt, P Stringer; P Clo hessy, M McDermott, J Hayes, M Galwey (capt), M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, A Foley, E Halvey. Replacements - B Walsh for Roche (54 mins), S leahy for O'Driscoll (58), D Clohessy for Hayes (66), D Corkery for Quinlan (68), F Sheehan for McDermott (78).

Referee: C White (England).