Leinster defeat could propel Munster tyros to next level

While defeat was their lot at the Aviva Stadium, the Munster performance against Leinster demonstrated that most players in the side have the ability to step up.

With Munster nursing a long injury list and unavailable players, Graham Rowntree had to reach deeper into their squad than they have ever before for a tier one game away from home.

You'd often see more senior players like O’ Mahony, Beirne, Conway, Earls and Zebo shoring up the spine of the team, but that wasn’t possible on Saturday evening.

When the teams were named, many feared for Munster and hoped that they could limit the damage to a respectable score. However, not long into the second half, a Coombes cousins combo put the visitors ahead and the perception of many changed.

Leinster however, as they so often do, found another gear as Munster’s injury woes continued.

What stuck out to me watching on was the belief in the Munster squad.

Initially nurtured under the guidance of academy manager Ian Costello away to Wasps in the Champions Cup last year, this self-belief was severely tested in the lead-up to Saturday's joust.

However, Leinster also had some unavailable players and were light in the back three. The loss of Tadhg Furlong close to kick-off which was a blessing for the Munster scrum.

The message that you get told when going through the ranks of underage, through to academy and development contracts, is that you’re not as far away from senior rugby as you might believe.

This is the party line when coaches are convincing younger players to live the life of a pro as opposed to that of a college student.

When Conor Murray first made his breakthrough, it was in part due to injuries. When the door opened for him, he knocked it clean off the hinges, becoming one of