Leinster bragging rights after defeat of Munster muted in wake of Coombes’ allegation

Some of the gloss has been taken off Leinster’s hard-earned 24-18 bonus-point win over Munster last Saturday at the Aviva Stadium due to Gavin Coombes’ allegations. That cloud will also hang over Leinster as they move on to their next assignment, another provincial derby away to Connacht next Friday night when they will be without their 17 Irish squad members.Granted, Connacht will also be without their eight-strong Irish contingent and the pity is that this derby has been denied two fully loaded sides, including a Ciaran Frawley-Sam Prendergast duel at outhalf. But the points will be of the same value and a packed Dexcom Stadium will afford the back-to-back URC champions a warm welcome after Connacht’s consecutive home wins over Saracens and Zebre.READ MORE“Exciting, isn’t it?” suggested Leo Cullen. “It’s a new challenge, a completely different challenge next Friday. Today is to finish out that sequence of games and off they [the Ireland internationals] go into camp, which creates an amazing opportunity. Connacht are riding high right now, particularly when playing at home, so it’ll be a proper challenge.”The game was notable for, among other things, a silky return to blue after an eight-year absence by Joey Carbery, while the Leinster and Ireland captain Dan Sheehan added another string to his bow with an 80-minute outing at number 8 in which he was the game’s leading carrier with 17. “I thought he was very, very good in carrying the fight in the game, which is getting his hands on the ball in attack and being hungry to make hits defensively as well. Because when he’s playing 8, he’s in the middle of the field a lot more. Quite often the hookers end up on the edge quite a bit. I thought Dan was excellent there.”Cullen said that this is “definitely a live option” for Ireland as well “whether that’s in game, in how you have your bench”.Munster defied expectations by deservedly taking a 13-0 lead inside half an hour thanks to another superbly worked try, finished off by Shane Daly. After Leinster’s four-try salvo (three of them created by Jamison Gibson-Park), the visitors at least had the final say through Ben O’Connor’s try to earn a bonus point.Munster's Shane Daly celebrates after scoring his side's first try of the match. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Although Munster head coach Clayton McMillan is too much of a competitor to “take any satisfaction out of being gallant losers”, he admitted: “They’re a significantly more experienced and cohesive side and we know that if you want to get a win down here you’ve got to come and throw your best shot.“Patches in games is not going to be good enough and there’ll be some great learnings for our young squad out of the game tonight. So it is what it is.“We’re happy with our cattle. We know we need to get better. There’s lots of young guys that are getting thrown into some pretty big occasions and from where I’m sitting a lot of them are doing a bloody good job.”Munster, in ninth, host the in-form Sharks, in fifth, at Thomond Park next Saturday and McMillan hopes to have Will Harrison and Edwin Edogbo available. “They warmed up with us today. Probably just didn’t get through enough training to be genuinely considered for today’s game. “Forwards-wise, we’re probably looking quite healthy. Not too sure about the two looseheads [Jeremy Loughman and Michael Milne], probably touch and go at this stage. It’s in the backs we’re running pretty thin,” added McMillan, after Daly was forced off with a head injury. Sean O’Brien has a groin issue, while Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey will be in Ireland camp. “We’ll see what washes up after the medical clinic ... But it’s a huge game for us. We’ll just lick our wounds and then get back to work on Monday.”