Leinster secured a hard-fought 24-18 bonus-point victory over Munster in a bruising United Rugby Championship derby at Aviva Stadium. Despite trailing 13-0 at the break following tries from Shane Daly and eight points from 20-year-old fly-half Charlie O'Shea, Leinster rallied with second-half scores from Ryan Baird, Charlie Tector and a late Jamie Osborne try to claim the win.
Tommy O'Brien scored just before half-time after a pinpoint assist from returning scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, who finished with three try assists. Ben O'Connor's consolation try in the final minute earned Munster a losing bonus point, but the result mirrored last year's Croke Park encounter where Munster also started strongly before Leinster's persistence paid off.
The match featured several sub-plots, including hooker Dan Sheehan's surprise switch to number eight and concerns around Munster's limited representation in the latest Ireland squad. A late controversial incident involving Gavin Coombes alleged to have been grabbed in the groin went unpunished after TMO review. Both teams now turn their attention to provincial fixtures before entering Ireland camp for November's Nations Championship.
Leinster travel to face Connacht on Friday, while Munster host the Sharks at Thomond Park on Saturday.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing