Leinster-Munster: 5 talking points as awkward Irish rugby question is asked

Leinster's 26-12 victory over Munster at Croke Park offered Irish rugby fans plenty to mull over as the season progresses and next month's Autumn Nations Series looms.

With a crowd of over 80,000 - a record attendance for a URC fixture - this encounter at GAA headquarters may not have quite lived up 2009 Heineken Cup classic but it did deliver plenty of fascinating sub-plots.

Here are the five talking points from the match:

If anything, the gap is growing

Saturday evening's Croke Park showdown spoke to the widening gulf that now exists between the two provinces. Munster have now won just two of the last fifteen encounters between the sides.

Leinster's lightning-fast start - scoring three tries in just over 14 minutes - effectively ended the game as a spectacle before it had a chance to get started. While Munster showed resilience in fighting back in the second forty, scoring two tries of their own, they never truly threatened to overturn Leinster’s lead.

Leinster’s ability to create and capitalise on opportunities in the first half killed off the contest early. In the second half, Leinster minds appeared to have turned to the aftermatch meal, with the 5 league points in the bag care of RG Snyman just before halftime.

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree admitted after the game: “They sensed we were a bit disjointed and got the ball to the edge of the field and took their opportunities. As a headline to the game, from us, it wasn't a lack of effort. We just have to get better at taking opportunities. They had minimal opportunities, but took them all. They're a dangerous team like that."

It's a recurring theme for Munster. They possess grit and character but continue to struggle in executing under pressure,   especially against a team as ruthlessly efficient as Leinster.

RG Snyman trumps Jean Kleyn

Munster fans booing pantomime villain RG Snyman as he left the field on 50 minutes seemed to miss the point. Munster had been given a Sophie's Choice option by the IRFU [whose hand had been forced by Kleyn's Test defection]; keep one of your two giant Springbok locks: Snyman or Jean Kleyn.

RG Snyman of Leinster celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's fourth try during the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Munster at Croke Park in Dublin. (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Choosing to keep Kleyn seemed like the smart move. He had been a central figure for the province while expensive superstar Snyman spent the majority of his four years in Munster on the sideline injured. Leinster, meanwhile, looked like spendthrifts as they stumped up an eyewatering €600,000 a year to bring the 6'9 Snyman up the M7 to Dublin.

On yesterday's evidence, it was Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber who are getting the better deal. While Snyman didn't exactly pull up trees in his first 'home' performance of the season, he was the better of the pair and his try just before halftime put an exclamation mark on it.

Ciarán Frawley is now Leinster's starting 10

Ciarán Frawley’s performance was another highlight. His assured display at fly-half proved pivotal for the men in blue. The 26-year-old not only controlled the tempo of the game but also showcased his distribution and game management skills - constantly keeping Munster on the back foot.

His ability to lead the team from the front will give Leinster coach Leo Cullen a welcome selection headache as the season progresses. Leinster have more direction and clarity with the redhead playmaker pulling the strings.

With Johnny Sexton a ghost of Leinster Rugby's past, rookie Sam Prendergast away on Emerging Ireland duty, and Ross and Harry Byrne failing to convincingly inhabit the jersey, Frawley has made a stronger case than ever for being Leinster’s first-choice fly-half.

Leinster's Ciaran Frawley celebrates scoring versus Connacht at the RDS (Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

His head-to-head performance against Munster’s Jack Crowley will also not have gone unnoticed by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell either. Crowley - Ireland's incumbent ten - struggled to impose himself in the face of Leinster’s rush defence, while Frawley thrived, dictating play and creating space for his teammates.

If Frawley continues this form, he should push Crowley for the Ireland starting spot this Autumn.

Leinster and Ireland have front-row concerns

While Leinster emerged victorious, their issues in the front row remain a concern. Tadhg Furlong has struggled to regain his best form since returning from injury last year. Against Munster, the scrum battle was largely even, with referee Chris Busby awarding penalties both ways, but Leinster scrums will take your hand off for parity where Furlong is concerned.

The 31-year-old tighthead has become a latter-day John Hayes—a player whose influence at the set-piece has diminished to the point where not going backwards has now become the primary objective. At his best he is the sport's premier tighthead, but it's been a minute since you could make that argument.

(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

This issue extends beyond Leinster to the national side, where Ireland’s depth in the front row has been a point of concern. Furlong’s struggle for form, coupled with injuries to other key players like Rónan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan, throws an unwanted spotlight on the fragility of Ireland’s front row - which was demolished by the Springboks during the summer.

While the 37-year-old Cian Healy’s experience and versatility offers some respite, there is a growing need for a younger generation of Irish props to step up and take on the mantle.

Rugby's popularity in Ireland continues to soar

The record attendance of 80,468 at Croke Park for a URC fixture is a clear testament to the growing popularity of the sport in Ireland. Leinster have certainly enjoyed a surge in support. Their two Croke Park games this calendar year outsold the entire season attendance of the Dublin GAA team at their own ground.

While the game didn't quite deliver on spectacle, the atmosphere at Croke Park was electric and the oval ball game appears to be the hottest ticket in town. Whisper it, but is rugby becoming Ireland's national sport?