Munster 30-6 Leinster: Munster claimed bragging rights and a place in the Heineken Cup final as their clash with provincial rivals Leinster lived-up to expectation in a ferocious contest at Lansdowne Road.

Billed as a showdown between Munster's forward might and Leinster's dazzling threequarters, the battle-hardened eight from Thomond Park took the honours.

More precise at the set-piece and stronger in the loose, they provided fly-half Ronan O'Gara with a platform the outstanding Ireland star used to mastermind victory.

Felipe Contepomi captured many of the headlines in the build-up with the Pumas playmaker credited with inspiring Leinster's Heineken Cup revival. He was even touted as the best number 10 in Europe but on today's evidence O'Gara now holds that title thanks to his masterclass, which was capped by a 20-point haul and easily eclipsed Contepomi's disappointing display.

Leinster had no answer to Munster's firepower while the greater experience of the perennial Heineken Cup semi-finalists also told, especially in the second half when the tempo had finally slowed.

Living off scraps, Brian O'Driscoll and his fellow strike-runners struggled to make any impression with their fine efforts in broken play underlining their wasted talent.

Leinster certainly never scaled the heights of their stunning quarter-final victory over Toulouse, with Munster's pack proving far more formidable adversaries.

Ireland back row Denis Leamy crossed in the first half while O'Gara and Trevor Halstead pounced in injury time to give the scoreline a lop-sided appearance that was harsh on Leinster.

Munster now face Biarritz, who defeated Bath yesterday, in the final and they should be favourites to beat the French champions and win the Heineken Cup for the first time.

Unsurprisingly Leinster fielded the same team which sent Toulouse crashing out in the last eight with Shane Horgan and Malcolm O'Kelly making their 100th appearances for the province.

Ireland prop Marcus Horan lost his battle against a calf injury so Federico Pucciariello continued at loosehead for Munster but O'Gara and Leamy were passed fit.

O'Gara set the scoreboard in motion with a second-minute penalty in an action-packed opening controlled by Munster.

Paul O'Connell was conspicuous with a rampaging run and his pack bulldozed through the opposition shortly after as Leinster came under heavy pressure.

Munster needed more points to reflect their domination and they arrived in the ninth minute with a perfectly-executed line-out catch and drive.

O'Gara, scenting blood, declined a kick at goal to set up the line-out which Jerry Flannery used to find O'Connell and his pack drove on, eventually shoving Leamy over.

The breakneck speed of the match continued with Denis Hickie threatening until he was shoved into touch by Shaun Payne - and not a moment too soon with the tryline beckoning.

Contepomi's vision nearly set-up Hickie again but Payne covered to avert the danger and in the 20th minute Leinster were off the mark with a penalty from their Pumas fly-half.

O'Gara, who had converted Leamy's try, responded almost immediately to send Munster 13-3 ahead and just when the pace had appeared to slow, breaks from O'Driscoll and Contepomi brought the crowd to their feet once again.

A scuffle between Contepomi and Leamy saw Leinster penalised, however, and O'Gara punished the indiscipline to leave Michael Cheika's side trailing by alarming margin.

Contepomi could have helped matters but badly miscued a simple penalty with the pressure of the occasion affecting his nerve, and then his luck deserted him when he struck the left upright eight minutes after the interval.

Munster dominated the third quarter, rarely allowing Leinster to escape from their own half and nearly crossing through O'Connell in the left corner.

O'Driscoll and co held firm that time but they were being pounded into submission - until, with 12 minutes of game time left, they exploded into action.

Contepomi kicked a penalty after going desperately close to crossing on two occasions and Jamie Heaslip would then have been in but for a loose pass from hooker Brian Blaney.

The high-octane contest which marked the first half has been resumed and this time Munster were under the cosh with their cause not helped by the sin-binning of Pucciariello for going in on the wrong side.

But Contepomi missed the kick - his third blank in six attempts - and Munster responded through O'Gara who brushed off a tackle by O'Kelly and crossed before converting his own try.

The Ireland star was needed one more time - to improve an injury-time breakaway try from Halstead - and he made no mistake as Munster fans celebrated a magnificent day for the province.

Teams:

Leinster: Dempsey; Horgan, O'Driscoll (capt), D'Arcy, Hickie; Contepomi, Easterby; Corrigan, B Blaney, Green; Williams, O'Kelly; Jowitt, Gleeson, Heaslip.
Replacements (from): D Blaney, McCormack, Byrne, Ronan, Miller, O'Riordan, Lewis, Kearney.

Munster: Payne; Horgan, Kelly, Halstead, Dowling; O'Gara, Stringer; Pucciariello, Flannery, Hayes; O'Callaghan, O'Connell; Leamy, Wallace, Foley (cpt).
Replacements: Fogarty, Roche, M O'Driscoll, Keogh, Manning, Henderson, O'Leary.

Referee: Joel Jutge (France)