Leinster 24–18 Munster: second-half comeback seals bonus-point win after visitors build 13-point lead

Leinster recovered from 13–0 down to beat Munster 24–18 at the Aviva Stadium, scoring four tries to secure a bonus-point victory in the United Rugby Championship.

Tommy O’Brien began the recovery before half-time, with Ryan Baird, Charlie Tector and Jamie Osborne crossing after the interval. Joey Carbery added two conversions.

Munster’s Ben O’Connor scored at the end to salvage a losing bonus point, after Shane Daly’s try and eight points from Charlie O’Shea had put the visitors in control.

The result, confirmed in Munster’s official match report, gave Leinster their second league win of the season.

Munster’s breakdown work builds an early advantage

Munster made Leinster work for possession and territory, with their pressure at the breakdown repeatedly disrupting the hosts’ attempts to establish a rhythm.

O’Shea opened the scoring with a penalty before Daly finished a well-worked attack from a lineout. Seán O’Brien broke through and linked with Craig Casey, whose pass sent the winger clear.

The conversion and another O’Shea penalty extended the advantage to 13 points.

Leinster’s response came through Jamison Gibson-Park. His long pass from a scrum found Tommy O’Brien on the right for the hosts’ first try, reducing the deficit to 13–5 at half-time.

The42’s account of the match details how Munster’s early kicking and breakdown pressure gave way to a more difficult defensive assignment after the interval.

Leinster’s scrum pressure changes the contest

Leinster increasingly kept Munster pinned back, winning penalties and returning to the visitors’ line.

Baird eventually forced his way over from close range, with Carbery’s conversion bringing Leinster within a point. Munster also lost Alex Nankivell to the sin-bin during that sustained spell of pressure.

Tadhg Beirne briefly relieved the pressure with a turnover, but Munster failed to secure the resulting lineout. Leinster attacked again and replacement Tector crossed to put them ahead for the first time.

Osborne then finished on the left to secure the fourth-try bonus point. Carbery’s conversion stretched the lead to 24–13 before O’Connor’s late response reduced the final margin to six.

RTÉ’s match report records the scrum pressure and repeated penalties that helped Leinster take control.

Sheehan’s switch ends in victory, but injury concerns remain

Captain Dan Sheehan started at number eight, with Rónan Kelleher at hooker, following the back-row injuries covered in our explanation of Leinster’s selection reshuffle.

The win provides a first result to assess alongside our analysis of the demands of Sheehan’s new role.

Carbery also completed his first start since returning to Leinster, having been selected with Sam Prendergast unavailable through injury.

There were further fitness concerns during the derby. Daly was taken off on a stretcher and Tommy O’Brien also left injured, as reported by The42. Neither a recovery timetable nor the extent of either injury was established in that report.