Munster player ratings vs Leinster | 2023 URC semi-final

Munster player ratings: Munster had it all to do with playing Leinster in Dublin, but if history taught us anything about this fixture, they tend to be tight affairs.

Missing players through injuries didn’t help matters but it was their failure to convert red zone territory into points that really hurt the men in red. But it didn’t do enough to dampen the Munster fires and they landed a famous and long overdue win over their bitter rivals.

15. Mike Haley – 6
A knock-on following a TMO review parred Haley’s blushes after a he was rounded by Ryan Baird. Kicked well and did just enough to stop Tommy O’Brien who looked sure to score in the 60th minute.

14. Keith Earls – 6
A big hit on Max Deegan announced Earls into the game – the Munster veteran never one to shy away from conflict in this fixture. There was rust there though and one of a number of Munster players struggling with a dose of the butter fingers.

13. Antoine Frisch – 6
Some questionable defending at times and a few scuffed passes in attack. There were also flashes of excellence too as Munster sought to snatch the win in the dying moments of the game.

12. Jack Crowley – 8.5
Rowntree gambled on Crowley at 12, although according to RTE commentary, there is a school of thought that argues it might be the younger’s best position. Certainly didn’t look out of place in the centres in this contest. Got his ‘I’m him’ moment with an O’Garaesque drop-goal in the 78th.

11. Shane Daly – 6.5
Involved in a bit of kick tennis but didn’t play a huge role in the first 40, other than a clutch tackle on Ngatai in the 37th minute. Stayed in the fight in the second when lungs were bursting.

10. Ben Healy – 6
The Edinburgh-bound Healy settled his nerves with some accurate kicking, both from hand and the tee. Made some helter-skelter decisions with ball in hand though and went off with a horrible gash along his hairline.

9. Craig Casey – 6
His usual all-action approach, even if it did come with a fair share of fumbles, not least throwing the ball into touch just after half-time and getting caught at the base twice. A few too many errors here but he won’t care a jot.

1. Jeremy Loughman – 7.5
Suffered the ignominy of being stripped of the ball by van der Flier a metre out from the Leinster line but scrummaged well against Michael Ala’alatoa, with Munster having much the better of the set-piece.

2. Diarmuid Barron – 7
Very lucky not to be carded after making contact with the chin of Will Connors, who was removed with a concussion after just a minute on the clock, saved by the suggestion that the Leinster flanker’s impact with the ground was principally to blame. Bagged a great poach a few moments later.

3. Stephen Archer – 8.5
The old veteran got well and truly stuck into Michael Milne, whose scrummaging just isn’t there just yet. Brilliantly outhustled Cian Healy for a telling turnover in the 50th minute.

4. Jean Kleyn – 6.5
Having not been capped for Ireland since the Rugby World Cup warm-ups in 2019, the hulking South African could have potentially put himself in the shop window with a big performance here. A workhorse for sure and held his own against fellow Saffa and former teammate Jason Jenkins.

5. Tadhg Beirne – 7.5
The standard bearer for Munster’s pack was at the coal face all afternoon and eventually got his just deserts, barging his way over the Leinster try line in the 46th minute.

6. Peter O’Mahony (C) – 7.5
An injury doubt coming into the game, but it didn’t show. The man who was no stranger to the wing at Cork Con showed he hasn’t lost all his pace with a number of telling line-breaks with ball in hand.

7. John Hodnett – 7
Tackled his heart out and showed he’s a threat in attack.

8. Gavin Coombes – 6.5
A relatively quiet first half from the highly rated No.8. Grew into the match more in the second and was very much part of the hassle mob that sewed the seed of doubt in the men in blue.

Replacements – 5.5 : Stalwart Jack O’Donoghue brought huge energy from the bench, as did Fineen Wycherley and Rory Scannell. Munster’s scrum ascendency disappeared completely 180’ed under Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley and Roman Salanoa though.