The Leinster supporters should have been chanting to the Munster players “Are you Ladyboys in disguise?” This was a simply stunning performance from Leinster where they showed a disrespect previously unseen for their southern rivals. They slashed them at every opportunity and closed down space to such an extent that Munster had nowhere to go. Munster are seldom treated with such disdain by any team and if last May hurt, what did last night’s performance reveal?

It is true that in May, Munster were well below the level you would normally expect but last night not only were they not up to it, they looked like they were not up for it. It seemed they were going through the motions from a long time out.

This non-performance will have huge ramifications for Munster. Before they invented the drawing board, what did they go back to? I think that this performance will be therapeutic and beneficial to Munster in the long run. Northampton must have been sitting around last night cursing Leinster’s brilliance because in the pantheon of backlashes there is the mother and father of backlashes coming in Franklin’s Gardens next Saturday.

I was fairly certain that this would be a game of bash/kick chase beforehand but the level of dexterity and adventure shown by Leinster was a refreshing departure from some of the rubbish games I have seen recently. It was a stunning game, dominated by some of the lesser players. Kevin McLaughlin had a magnificent defensive start and long before Munster had begun to make targets of themselves, McLaughlin was looking for big hits.

Both sides knew that whoever won the battle of the collisions, they were a long way towards winning this game. Nobody was quite sure, though, that they would stamp their intent on matters with such authority. The amount of Munster players who were picked up off their feet and dumped back on their arse was just a joy to behold. Leinster, too, showed the sort of determination which gave them a real advantage. The speed of support into the breakdown was bewildering.

The Leinster back row dominated against a sluggish Munster back row. As the game grew, this became more and more pronounced. Leinster’s tight performance was also significantly stronger than anything they have shown this season. They picked off four of Munster’s throws and also picked up almost twice that in turnovers at the breakdown.

Their first try in the 22nd minute showed how fluid they could be and that they were able to trust in this. Brian O’Driscoll’s brilliance and his obvious danger were enough to draw in Marcus Horan and Denis Leamy. Shane Horgan ghosted through outside and though his pass was half a yard forward, he got away with it. At half-time, 13-0, with the wind and a very strong bench, you weren’t sure whether Leinster would run on and rubber-stamp their absolute dominance.

Munster’s fate was sealed when John Hayes was sent off for a very uncharacteristic stamp. This issue will have to be addressed in the sense that players are still collapsing and dragging the ball down. Cian Healy was trying to do exactly that and it was absolute frustration which provoked Hayes to do what he did. No excuses though, he deserved his red and could be in danger of missing a number of serious matches this season as a result.

The match descended into a rout. Everything Leinster did worked, and everything Munster did backfired. But this might not be a great result in terms of how Leinster play next week.