Rivalry.

As far as club rugby goes these days – Leinster Rugby are the standard. They’ve reached a level that every club in the world wants to get to. It’s as simple as that.

Excellent coaching staff, incredible academy, a team littered with Test stars as well as exciting prodigies, along with a PRO14 and Champions Cup title to boot.

It’s not often they are beaten, but just like the All Blacks – no team is invincible. But how do you beat arguably the best club side in the world? Same way you beat the beat the All Blacks, you don’t sit back, you take the game to them.

Speaking after last night’s win, Munster loosehead Dave Kilcoyne says that is exactly the message give to them earlier in the week by head coach Johann van Graan.

“Going back through the years obviously, it’s a massive rivalry. I think Leinster have shown to be the standard bearer in Europe, in World Rugby… they’re double champions.” Kilcoyne said.

“Johann mentioned during the week that you can’t contain a team like Leinster, you need to go after them and you need to win the game and I think that’s what we did tonight. We didn’t go out to try to contain them, we went out to win the game and fortunately, we were on the right side of that call.”

And Kilcoyne and the Munster lads can take even more pride in the fact that Leinster sent a full team down the M50 to take them on, including one Johnny Sexton who rarely makes the trip to Limerick. Kilcoyne said the win is huge for Munster and is the kind of game everyone in the southern province wants to be playing in.

“Massively.” Kilcoyne said when if Munster were excited going into the game.

“You want these games, a sold-out Thomond Park. It’s a huge game in our calendar year, same for Leinster. Everyone in Irish rugby knows it’s a massive rivalry. It was a huge game for us tonight and I’m delighted to get the right side of the win.”