SO THIS is the rising trajectory the Magners League has taken. Tournament Director David Jordan had named last night's match the "Big One". Such hyperbole is rarely matched on the field but yesterday as Dublin's Ballsbridge heaved with fans and more than 18,000 rolled into the RDS, the avenue up by Simmonscourt Road could have been the smaller sibling of Jones' Road in the third week of September.

A match laced with the usual gamut of provincial animosities, tension and competitive edge as well as the first sightings of Australia's Rockey Elsom and Springbok CJ Van Der Linde set this meeting somewhat higher than just another provincial squabble over bragging rights.

Magners League points were all well and good but Munster and Leinster butting heads two weeks before their Heineken Cup opening and six weeks before the autumn internationals injected a more immediate dynamic.

It was low-scoring but full of incendiary moments from Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi manhandling the hulking Van Der Linde into touch off the ball to Munster and Ireland secondrow Donncha O'Callaghan picking up the gum shield of Leinster flanker Shane Jennings and hurling it well up into the North Stand. It must have been a Leinster catch. It came back straight away.

Munster unlocked Leinster as the home side kept screwing the dial left and right but never quite opening the defence of the Heineken champions. Still, Munster were thankful for small mercies.

"We could have been nine points down after 15 or 20 minutes," said Munster prop Marcus Horan of the three missed kicks of Felipe Contepomi in the first half.

"It could have so easily have been a different situation at half-time. But we were able to come back down the field and win three points in that first half.

"It was a typically tight game. The score probably flattered us at the end and I know when we meet later in the year it will be tough again. Our defence was pretty strong. That's a very positive aspect for us but to give three penalties . . . it could have been a different story. It was good to be able to keep their guys away from out try line."

For Munster coach Tony McGahan it was a baptism of sorts, his first real test and the opening volley of what is certain to be a season with regular peaks of high intensity. Coming on the back of Leinster beating Munster twice last season, McGahan kept it all in but the satisfaction was clearly oozing.

"It was the most satisfying (result) definitely," said McGahan. "It was our biggest test to date, obviously coming off two losses last year. To come up here and get four points was an excellent result for us. Never easy. We knew Leinster had attacking weapons all across the field so it was never easy.

"I thought our defence was excellent. I thought our whole back-line first-phase defence was excellent. I thought Rua (Tipoki) and (Lifeimi) Mafi defended very well and there was great work at inside by Rog (O'Gara). It was a great game but we'll approach the Heineken Cup after Glasgow next week. Our concentration was on the first five games of the Celtic League and that's where our focus will stay."

Michael Cheika seemed almost in two minds. The Leinster coach was disappointed and obviously stewing after the match. But the root cause of his post-match anxiety attack, he believed, was easily fixable.

"We didn't play well enough, we turned over far too much ball and if you do that against a quality team like Munster and we did, you will lose and we did. We just presented them with far too much ball," he said.

"Sure we looked well in certain parts of the game but we turned over too much in two areas, at ruck and in our handling. The warning signs were there last week. We need to learn to respect the ball more. No, I'm not worried. I'm disappointed. Munster lost to us at home and away last season and they are the European Champions. We don't need any sweeping statements or panic at this stage.

"The problems tonight can be fixed in one minute and a portion of it, giving the ball away, was the guys wanting to do too much in the offload area. You don't have to be a genius to work that one out," he added.

Cheika and the side may also mine some thin satisfaction from it being an early-season meeting and view the hurt as an education of sorts.

Bragging rights to Munster certainly but also an interesting challenge to Leinster's growing character.

"They're the European champions," added Cheika. "And they're getting better. We'd a lesson to learn tonight and it's a hard one. It's hard to lose at home."