Playing into the strong wind in the opening half Munster took the game to Leinster and after a series of attacks from the back row; Robbie Doyle put Munster ahead with a penalty after nine minutes. Dara Kavanagh had the visitors level with a long range penalty effort four minutes later.

Munster continued to dominate, winning the line out at will and some driving runs by Edmund Leamy and skipper Merle O Connell and some astute kicking from Robbie Doyle, kept the holders pinned back in their own half.

A great break by scrum-half Stephen O Brien brought Munster deep into the Leinster Twenty Two and from the resulting ruck, O Brien sent Doyle in for a try, which he also converted for a 10-3 half time lead.

A break by prop Roy McArdle set Donagh Murphy up for a try for Munster ten minutes into the second half and Doyle converted for a 17-3 lead. Doyle missed a penalty and a drop goal attempt as Munster looked like they were going to over run the Leinster challenge, but the holder s got back into the tie when a chip ahead by Thomas Campbell, saw the ball bounce kindly for him and he ran in, to score under the posts.

Kavanagh added the conversion to leave a score between the sides. Any hopes of a Leinster revival were soon dashed as Doyle kicked two penalties and despite being reduced to fourteen men, when Leamy was yellow carded, Munster held out for a comfortable victory.