Peter Martin tells Leinster skipper Caelan Doris to watch the foul play from his side.

As expected, a spicy start in Thomond Park.

Gavin Coombes is a man of many talents...kicking it seems is not one of them and he slices one out on the full.

Munster get the ball back almost straight away, though. Thomas Ahern does brilliantly at the line-out and they're into the Leinster half once again.

Shane Daly, though, brings the home crowd right back into this one.

A huge tackle from the wing on Ciaran Frawley.

Jack Crowley won't want to see that one again.

He misses his touch from the penalty and it's another scrum to Munster.

It's another strong one from the Leinster pack too who look like they mean business in the early going.

If anyone ever starts to keep track of how many clearing box-kicks go just as far as they need to but no further, I'm willing to bet that Jamison Gibson-Park comes out on top of that stat chart.

The answer is...NO!

Max Deegan, Caelan Doris and Ronan Kelleher all get stuck in on maul defence and the ball is swallowed up.Scrum to Leinster!

Now it's Munster's turn to go with the maul, can they get the same result?

Oh, that's a lively start at the scrum!

Penalty to Leinster and they go to the corner...

Harsh one perhaps?

Edwin Edogbo is getting some treatment but looks set to continue.

After all the injury problems the big lock has had, hopefully he can keep on going in this one.

What a defensive set from Munster. It looked for all the world that Leinster were going to make a quick start to this one but the hosts scramble well and force the knock-on.

A huge roar from the Limerick crowd greets that one!

Easy exit for Leinster as Barron is pinged for not rolling away.

The visitors up to the halfway line already.

And so for the final time in 2025, we are under way at Thomond Park.

The now traditional airing of 'Zombie' as Munster took the field raises the atmosphere a few notches and, after a blast of Peter Martin's whistle Jack Crowley kicks just to the edge of Leinster's 22.

James Lowe's score against Ulster last week was his 68th in Leinster blue.

The Irish international wing is now just one try short of Shane Horgan's record tally for the province.

Image source, Getty Images

On to game number two and there's Irish internationals everywhere you look.

Leo Cullen has named fit-again Andrew Porter and captain Caelan Doris in his starting team with the former included in a Leinster starting XV for the first time since October after recovering from an arm injury.

Test players Robbie Henshaw, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Max Deegan and Josh van der Flier are among the other players drafted in by Leinster who have made 11 changes from their win over Leinster last time out.

Munster meanwhile bring Tadhg Beirne, Thaakir Abrahams, Craig Casey, Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Edwin Edogbo and Tom Ahern all into the starting XV.

They've been forced into a further change with Calvin Nash a late scratch meaning Shane Daly switches to the wing and Mike Haley comes into the side at full-back.

John Ryan is set to make his 250th appearance for Munster off the replacements' bench, becoming only the third player after Alan Quinlan and Donncha O'Callaghan to hit the milestone for the province.

He is joined among the replacements by Diarmuid Barron and Dan Kelly who both return from injury.

Munster: Haley; Daly, Farrell, Nankivell, Abrahams; Crowley, Casey; Milne, Barron, Ala'alatoa; Edogbo, Ahern; Beirne, O'Donoghue, Coombes.

Replacements: Barron, Loughman, Ryan, Kleyn, Wycherley, Patterson, Kelly, Hodnett.

Leinster: Frawley; O'Brien, Ioane, Henshaw, Lowe; Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Clarkson; McCarthy, Ryan; Deegan, van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: McKee, P McCarthy, Furlong, Mangan, Penny, Gunne, Tector, Osborne.

Image source, Getty Images

We have more URC action to come as the second of today's inter-provincials is just minutes away as Munster host Leinster.

Clayton McMillan's side won an earlier meeting between the sides at Croke Park, so Leo Cullen's men will be seeking to turn the tables on their old rivals.

It is all over in Galway and Ulster leave with all five points.

A brace for Zac Ward, one for Werner Kok and a Penalty Try were enough to see Ulster home in topsy-turvy affair.

Connacht scored three tries of their own and leave with a losing bonus-point.

All smiles for Richie Murphy, but more questions for Stuart Lancaster's men.

Surely it is all over now? And it is!

Penalty to Ulster 25 metres out from the posts!

Unsurprisingly Ulster point to the sticks.