Leinster came from behind to beat Munster and win the 2023 Interprovincial Championship.

Munster held the lead and looked strong right from the off but Leinster gradually found their way into the game and once they took the lead they never looked back. 

Tarpey scored two tries along with two coming from strong pushes from the scrum for Leinster whilst Nic an Bhaird and Pearse scored for Munster. O’Bryne White touched down with 6 minutes to go to ensure the victory for Leinster. 

Munster were quick out the gates and spent the opening ten minutes of the game pressing hard to get the opening score but somehow Leinster managed to stem the tide and keep the game scoreless.

The Munster intensity did not drop and on the 15 minute mark they took a deserved lead. Deirbhile Nic an Bhaird got the opening try of the game. Some great footwork along with a superb burst of pace helped her beat four blue defenders as she touched down between the posts leaving a simple conversion. 

Despite all the Munster pressure, just before the half hour mark the game was level. The Leinster scrum proved too much to handle for Munster as the referee awarded a penalty try, also flashing a yellow card to Munster prop Roisin Ormond.

For all the Munster domination, the game now level and down a player seemed like a tricky situation for the home side. They didn’t let that challenge phase them and immediately restored the lead thanks to a strong drive over the line from Chloe Pearse. Nicole Cronin made no mistake adding the extra two, and once again her side had a deserved lead. 

The back and forth action continued though, as seconds before the clock ticked red after a number of solid attacking phases, Leah Tarpey touched down for Leinster, with Dannah O’Brien adding the extras to level the game at the break.

Leinster opened the second half the same way Munster opened the first, but the difference this time was that Leinster were rewarded for their pressure. Leah Tarpey scored her second try of the game after intense defending from Munster could hold out no more. O’Brien once again added the conversion. 

After a very slow couple of minutes due to injury breaks, Leinster took a strong hold of the lead on another strong push from the scrum that Munster could not hold out allowing Hannah O’Connor to score and extend the lead beyond a one score game. O’Brien struck iron with her conversion effort on this occasion. 

With less than ten minutes to go, the game was wrapped up. Beahen did well to break the line and handed off to O’Byrne White who had the easy task of touching down for the 5th Leinster try of the game just six minutes from time. O’Brien converted the extra two after. 

Despite an opening round loss to Connacht, Leinster recovered strongly and ultimately back to back victories over Munster saw them crowned deserved winners of the competition,