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2020 Leinster Resume 14-Man Munster Come From Behind

7th, 1 4 - m a n To Defeat The Scarlets
October Normal Service Munster pro-
duced an extraor-
dinary comeback
| Against Dragons to secure a rous-
ing
30-27
EXAMINER Guinness PRO14
first round win
over the Scarlets

IRISH in the incessant
rain at Parc y Scarlets on Sunday afternoon.
Academy out-half Ben Healy kicked a fantastic 50-metre
penalty to win the game in the final play, Leaving it late,
Munster turned in an outstanding final 13 minutes that saw
Chris Farrell and Kevin O’Byrne score tries with Healy land-
ing both conversions and the match-winning penalty.
There was also time for Peter O’Mahony to be shown a
second yellow card and then a red following Farrell’s try, but
14-man Munster refused to lie down and mounted a stun-
ning fight-back against the Leigh Halfpenny-inspired Scarlets.
Wales star Halfpenny, who set a new Scarlets regional
PRO14 record by kicking all 27 points, began the day with
three sure-footed penalties for a 9-0 lead inside the opening
25 minutes.
Munster’s disappointing start in the damp conditions, save
for some thumping tackles from big center Farrell, was com-
pounded by captain O’Mahony’s sin-binning for an illegal
entry when he charged into a ruck.
Leinster’s James Lowe makes a break(©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) 14-man Munster were back in it when Jack O’Donoghue
ormal service Sexton converted. Ruddock in the bin, Richard finished off a terrific team move. Running back a Scarlets
resumed at the RDS Larmour finished smartly Hibbard’s crooked lineout kick, Mike Haley offloaded for Andrew Conway to break
Nwhere Leinster began past two poor tackles from Will ruined their hopes for a late con- away down the right. He drew a defender before releasing
their Guinness PRO14 title Talbot-Davies and Sam Davies solation score. At the other end, Damian de Allende who popped off for the supporting
defense with a 35-5 bonus for try number two. On the half- Keenan missed out on a try with O’Donoghue to score.
point win over the Dragons. hour mark, Ringrose’s incisive a foot in touch due to Josh JJ Hanrahan landed the tricky conversion to make it a
The three-in-a-row champi- midfield run drew in the defense Lewis’ cover tackle. two-point game, but the Kerry native was off target with his
ons, who fell short against and simple hands out to the left Giving his reaction after- first penalty attempt just before half-time. By that stage
Saracens in Europe a fortnight supplied Lowe for his 38th try in wards, Leinster head coach Leo Halfpenny had fired over his fourth successful penalty for a
ago, coasted to victory despite 58 provincial appearances. Cullen said: “He’s fine – 12-7 scoreline.
losing captain Jonathan Sexton Ringrose and replacement Johnny’s a precaution, yeah. The 31-year-old full-back started the second half as he
to a calf injury in the first half. Ross Byrne joined Sexton in Max looked the (worst) ended the first when Munster were again pinged by referee
Three weeks out from pinging over pinpoint conver- one…it’s his knee I think. The Sam Grove-White at the breakdown. Hanrahan hit back in
Ireland’s rescheduled Six sions from out wide, but the other two didn’t seem to be too the 48th minute, closing the gap to 15-10 until Halfpenny
Nations clash with Italy, Sexton, Dragons showed some promise bad. I think they’re okay. Ciaran hammered home two more penalties.
Andrew Porter (lower leg) and before half-time. Set up by (Frawley) went off with a bang Healy, Jeremy Loughman and Fineen Wycherley were all
Max Deegan (knee) all had to be Jonah Holmes’ break, Sam on his eye. sent on approaching the hour mark, but the Tipperary-born
replaced. Leinster led 21-0 at the Davies lost his footing at the “Overall, I thought the guys out-half was next to fall foul of the referee’s whistle and
break thanks to tries from Garry crucial moment and was turned showed good intent to play and Halfpenny stepped up to make it 24-10 with a quarter-of-an-
Ringrose, Jordan Larmour and over in the Leinster 22. good energy, forced a lot of hour remaining.
James Lowe. Dean Ryan’s men improved pressure on the Dragons both It was then when Munster made vital inroads, Craig
Ireland hopeful Lowe and again early in the second period, sides of the ball. First half was Casey releasing Farrell on a strong run to the try-line from 10
Ashton Hewitt swapped third- although Lowe managed to good, obviously a few disrup- meters out. He got the ball down under pressure from Steff
quarter scores before Leinster barge over from Ringrose’s long tions to deal with and manage. Hughes and Jake Ball, the latter receiving a shoulder from a
replacement Ryan Baird pass. Hewitt responded on the “Ross Byrne and Tommy diving O’Mahony which earned him his second yellow and
wrapped up the scoring in fine hour with a terrific diving finish O’Brien came in, Tommy after his dismissal from the game.
style in the 66th minute. in the left corner, the build-up 10 minutes, so overall we’re Healy converted but O’Mahony’s indiscretion saw play
Hugo Keenan went close to seeing Roberts and Nick pleased to get a win to get up restart with a penalty on halfway which Halfpenny drilled
scoring from Sexton’s third- Tompkins both cause some and running. We’ve got a bonus over to steady the Scarlets at 27-17. Still, the Munstermen
minute grubber kick, and while damage. point win on the board and now had other ideas and a long-range Healy strike got them back
the Dragons defended stoutly Davies’ conversion attempt we move onto the challenge of within a converted score.
early on, the hosts’ high-tempo faded and with their lineout Treviso, a big, physical team. Driven on by a de Allende burst, the visitors mustered a
play gradually paid off. struggling all night, the Dragons “We saw their result in Ulster levelling try when replacement hooker O’Byrne was accu-
Man-of-the-match Jamison soon allowed Leinster through (tonight) and we played them a rate at a close-in lineout and crashed over from a well-execut-
Gibson-Park’s short pass put again. James Ryan was foiled by lot last season. It’s another big ed maul. Healy coolly sent over the conversion to make it 27-
Ringrose over near the right cor- Rhodri Williams’ tap tackle, but week for us and then we have a all.
ner in the 16th minute, follow- Baird soon shrugged off three sort of break, the national guys The momentum was now with Munster in the dying
ing a Lowe break. Leinster had defenders to rampage over fol- will go off into camp for a new minutes, and when Scarlets’ James Davies was guilty of
been playing an advantage for lowing another lost Dragons challenge so next week is proba- not releasing near halfway, up stepped the 21-year-old
Jamie Roberts’ high tackle on lineout. bly the last opportunity for a lot
Tommy O’Brien and the Wales Even though a bout of of guys to put their hand up for Healy to drive home the biggest kick of his professional
veteran was sin-binned before Dragons pressure landed Rhys selection for that as well.” C career so far. C