HIGHLIGHTS | Munster fall to bonus point defeat to Leinster in St Stephen’s Day clash

Munster suffered further injury blows when they lost captain Diarmuid Barron, loosehead Dave Kilcoyne and promising young lock Edwin Edogbo.

Munster had to settle for a losing bonus point after a real arm-wrestle against old rivals Leinster following a St Stephen’s Day battle in the wind and rain at Thomond Park.

The game didn’t produce a try but the capacity festive crowd enjoyed a great battle between two fully committed sides.

Munster, already without several key players, suffered further injury blows when they lost captain Diarmuid Barron, loosehead Dave Kilcoyne and promising young lock Edwin Edogbo.

But they hung in there in a game where both sides had periods of dominance but both defences were top class in the conditions.

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Leinster led 6-0 at the break thanks to two penalties in the opening 15 minutes from Harry Byrne.

Munster started the second-half brightly as the rain eased and after going to the right corner without success from a penalty, they opted for the posts from a similar kick but Jack Crowley narrowly missed the target.

However, he made no mistake after 52 minutes from 42 metres after they won a penalty in a scrum.

That cut the gap to 6-3 but that was as close as Munster could get.

Byrne was off target with a couple of penalties for Leinster and that left it still 6-3 going into the closing stages.

Leinster sealed the issue in the final play, winning a couple of penalties before Byrne added his third penalty of the night with Munster having to be content with a losing bonus point as they now turn their attentions to another Irish derby when they make the short journey to Galway next Monday to take on Connacht at the Sportsground.

Munster: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash (Oli Jager, 79), Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell (Seán O’Brien, 72), Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (Paddy Patterson, 61); Dave Kilcoyne (Jeremey Loughman, 18), Diarmuid Barron (c) (Eoghan Clarke, 6), Oli Jager (Stephrn Archer, 65); Edwin Edogbo (Brian Gleeson, 50), Gavin Coombes; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett (Alex Kendellen, 70), Jack O’Donoghue.