Former Leinster great Malcolm O'Kelly has spoken out on the "humiliating" experience that was Munster's 30-6 triumph at Landsdowne Road in the 2006 Heineken Cup Final.
O'Kelly was speaking alongside former Munster icon Peter Stringer to promote the Dyson Pure Cool purifier fan. The duo revisited the rugby rivalry that divided a nation; red versus blue, champions versus contenders, Munster versus Leinster. O'Kelly admitted that his "relationship with Munster changed, it was just bitter" while they were trying to dethrone the country's top dogs.
A major scalp came in 2006 for the red army when they comprehensively defeated Leinster in their own backyard. The final nail in the coffin came curiosity of a Ronan O'Gara dummy and try, a memory that still stings for O'Kelly.
I can remember a moment on the pitch in '06, where Rog gets the ball. It's like nine times out of ten that when Rog gets the ball he is going to let it go. The match is lost, Munster are going to win. I am facing Rog, I am coming off, I am the third defender coming into the 10 channel. I presume he is going to (pass) and he doesn't. He sticks his lámh out. It was a great handoff, I just couldn't get hold off him. Gone, under the sticks. He just does a wee little kick. Humiliating, humiliating. Absolutely humiliating.
But to be fair to him, he rang me. Rog rang me the next day and we cleared the air on that one.
Leinster would have their revenge three years later when they lit up Croke Park in a 25-6 victory.
The sides will do battle once more this weekend, with their Pro14 clash taking place against the background of a decade-long tug-of-war for power.
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