Leinster and Munster put on a thrilling encounter at GAA HQ as over 80,000 supporters watched the Blues emphatically defeat their fiercest rivals 26-12 in the United Rugby Championship.
It was a closer game than the scoreline suggested but Leinster were typically clinical with James Lowe, Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan and RG Snyman crossing the whitewash for the home side.
HT: Leinster 26-5 Munster
A sickener for Munster as that man Snyman clinches the bonus point just before the break, following a long spell of red dominance
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Munster fell 21-0 behind after just 15 minutes before settling into the contest, with Calvin Nash thinking he had pulled a score back however the set-up pass was contentiously judged to be forward.
Referee Chris Busby's whistle sounded before Nash had touched the ball down and he subsequently called the play back for a forward pass by Alex Nankivell.
It was a hugely tight call but Busby was steadfast that his sideline official had made the right call.
The moment drew the ire of Munster captain Tadhg Beirne who had a back-and-forth with Busby.
Munster would get on the board through a sniping Sean O'Brien finish but Snyman retaliated against his former side to leave them 26-5 ahead.
Mike Haley reduced the arrears after a smart kick from Gavin Coombes - giving his side a slim hope of avoiding defeat.
Munster did keep the opposition scoreless in the second-half but left themselves too much to do as they left Dublin 1 without a point to show for their efforts.
Graham Rowntree laments forward pass call after Munster's loss to Leinster
Munster boss Graham Rowntree cut a frustrated figure when he spoke to RTÉ after his sides loss in the capital.
Reflecting on the defeat, he pointed to Nash's disallowed try as a key moment in the match.
"Frustration... there were some opportunities that we need to be better at," he said.
"I can't fault their effort - they were going right to the end of the game there.
"I thought the disallowed pass - the forward pass changed the complexion of the game going into the second-half.
"We had other opportunities - we had an opportunity to put Tom Ahern away there for a try.
"They had minimal opportunities and they took them. It is a frustration."
Leinster 26-12 Munster
"Frustration" was the main feeling for Graham Rowntree as his side proved far less clinical than the winners
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The head coach did stress that his side needed to do more, lamenting some of their errors during the match but Munster did suffer for some of the referee's decisions during the game.
RG Snyman appeared to knock the ball forward en route to his side's second try while they did not have the rub of the green is some other incidents.
Munster will have to pick themselves up for a challenging trip to South Africa on Monday although they have achiveved some huge results south of the equator in recent seasons.
