Leinster player ratings vs Munster | 2026/27 URC

Leinster player ratings: Leo Cullen’s Leinster arrived at the Aviva Stadium expected to make light work of their old URC rivals, but with driving rain sweeping across Dublin earlier in the day and Munster arriving with the confidence of a side unbeaten in three matches, this never felt like the foregone conclusion the bookmakers suggested. Leinster monopolised much of the territory and possession before the break but repeatedly shot themselves in the foot through penalties and inaccuracies, allowing Munster to build a shock 13-5 lead. Once the blue bench arrived and the pressure finally told, however, Leinster squeezed the fight out of their visitors to emerge 24-18 winners.

15. Hugo Keenan – 8.5
Brought his kicking boots and then some. A brilliant early grubber touchfinder set the tone, while several massive exits continually turned Munster around. Added a couple of dangerous half-breaks and was excellent in broken field. His fumble from a Leinster lineout in the second half was about the only blemish.

14. Tommy O’Brien – 7.5
Claimed a series of awkward high balls and scored Leinster’s opening try after a genius long-range pass from Jamison Gibson-Park. Nearly benefited from an earlier Joey Carbery break too. Got through a serious amount of work and his handling helped create Charlie Tector’s try.

13. Jamie Osborne – 8
Started steadily before exploding into the game after the interval. Beat six defenders in total, carried with real menace and crashed over for a deserved try. Some classy distribution in the lead-up to Tector’s score as well. A powerful second-half display.

12. Robbie Henshaw – 7
His usual bruising, busy self. Came desperately close to scoring after a series of pick-and-goes only for the TMO to rule him short. Marshalled Leinster’s defensive effort and won several collisions in midfield.

11. Jimmy O’Brien – 6.5
A mixed evening before a halftime HIA ended his involvement. Munster repeatedly sent traffic and kicks down his corridor and he turned over a few too many possessions. Not disastrous, but not one of his sharper nights either.

10. Joey Carbery – 8
The former Munster out-half was central to just about everything Leinster did well. Mixed his passing and running game intelligently, threatened the line repeatedly and produced some lovely touches in attack. There were moments when Munster’s defenders looked as if they had downloaded his playbook and read him well, but his superb kick on 71 minutes and several other key interventions tipped him firmly into eight territory.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 8
Different gravy. Back in Leinster colours after a lengthy injury layoff and looked as though he’d never been away. His service was sharp, his kicking game excellent and his sniping breaks continually troubled Munster. The 30-metre floated pass for Tommy O’Brien’s try was outrageous. Added another try assist for Osborne late on.

1. Andrew Porter – 6.5
A sub-par first half by his standards. The opening scrum penalty went Munster’s way and he was also pinged at other points before the break. Improved as the game wore on and eventually began to get a marginal edge over Kieran Brookes.

2. Rónan Kelleher – 7.5
Carried hard throughout and provided plenty of go-forward. Never stopped looking for work and was a key figure during Leinster’s sustained second-half pressure. A very solid outing before departing on the hour.

3. Tadhg Furlong – 7
Made several characteristic carries, including one memorable surge with Munster defenders hanging off him. Helped Leinster wrestle greater scrum control as the contest wore on.

4. Joe McCarthy – 7.5
Spent most of the evening in the trenches. Repeatedly carried into heavy traffic and won more collisions than he lost. Not flawless, as shown by a knock-on from an ankle-height Gibson-Park pass and a penalty for not releasing, but still a significant physical presence.

5. James Ryan – 6.5
Gifted Munster their opening points with a high tackle on Brookes and never quite imposed himself the way some of Leinster’s other forwards did. Improved defensively but not a vintage Ryan display.

6. Ryan Baird – 8
A deserved score capped one of his better outings in quite some time. Pinched an important lineout shortly before halftime, defended aggressively and carried with purpose. Frankly, after a few duff performances recently, this was a badly needed response.

7. Josh van der Flier – 6
Typically industrious. Missed one notable tackle on Kendellen but otherwise got through a mountain of unseen work around the park.

8. Dan Sheehan – 8
Captaining Leinster from No.8 for the first time and looked remarkably at home there. Nearly grabbed an intercept, repeatedly dented the gainline and carried relentlessly. Nobody is mistaking him for Caelan Doris or Jack Conan, but this was a very passable impression of an elite No.8.

Replacements – 7
Leinster’s bench arguably changed the game. Gus McCarthy and Charlie Tector were the standouts, with the former excellent at the breakdown and in general play, while the latter crossed for a crucial try. The collective impact brought urgency and energy just as Munster were beginning to tire.