A night when Leinster maintained their fast start to the URC season and Munster left Dublin with another defeat banked against their biggest rivals.
That wasn't the whole story.
A comfortable home win was the expected outcome when the team sheets were released.
READ MORE: Leinster 27 Munster 13: Blues secure late bonus point but promising signs from Reds' young guns
And while Leinster did grab the winning bonus point, it took until the 77th minute to finally subdue this young Munster.
Admittedly, had Leinster clicked from the start it could have been a night to totally forget for the visitors.
But they survived a difficult opening, as much down to unusual errors by Leinster - and by Johnny Sexton in particular - as their own defensive efforts.
That done, they made a real fight of it for the 45,436 crowd.
Munster were even down a man twice when Kenyan Knox and Jean Kleyn were shown the yellow card but they still took a 47th minute lead when Joey Carbery converted Liam Coombes' try.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen was diplomatic afterwards when quizzed on whether Kleyn's sin bin visit was the right call by ref Andrew Brace.
“What do you think?," replied Cullen. “I’ll find out exactly what the official line is on it.”
The big lock came crashing down on Jamie Osborne as the Leinster back attempted a chip and chase in midfield. The Naas man went down the tunnel and didn't return.
“He was struggling there, yeah," said Cullen. "It’s a fair old impact he took.
“We’ll find out. There are lots of decisions in the game, which I’ll always ask the question because I honestly don’t know.
"I’ll ask that array of questions like we normally would. There was lots going on, certain things I’m thinking, ‘why are we not getting these calls? Why are certain calls going against us?'".
Prolific Blues flanker Scott Penny got the scoreboard going in an entertaining clash before Coombes' reply.
Munster going ahead sparked Leinster back to life.
Dan Sheehan's customary line-out maul try was followed by man of the match Luke McGrath somehow getting over the line. Rob Russell's bonus point effort was the pick of the bunch.
"We are delighted to get a bonus point win in a Leinster-Munster game, it doesn’t happen that often, does it?," said Cullen.
"There are parts of the game that we can look back on where we create a lot of opportunities in the first half but we are not particularly clinical in terms of finishing them off.
"Then we get ourselves in a situation where Munster with 14 men get in twice in the first 47 minutes and then suddenly they are ahead in the game.
"We showed better composure from then on, both sides of the ball. Up to that point we are probably just a little bit impatient at times. We are forcing certain things, we are falling on the wrong side of some calls with the officials.
"It is the composure part that we are lacking. Having said that, to come away with four tries, is a positive outcome for us."
Sexton played the full 80 in front of Ireland boss Andy Farrell, but his Test back-up Carbery suffered a shoulder injury.
With Tadhg Furlong a late withdrawal with a rolled ankle, they are yet more concerns for the Ireland head coach ahead of the South Africa clash here on Saturday week.
Reds boss Graham Rowntree said it could be Tuesday before the extent of Carbery's injury is known.
As for the performance, he was delighted his charges stood up.
“I just told them there, I'm proud of them," Rowntree stated.
"There's a sombre mood. Some young men who wanted to do better. They deserved better than the scoreline.
“I asked them to fight, keep fighting, get off the floor, keep fighting. I asked them to be brave and they did that.
“They managed the yellow cards quite well. Tight game at half-time and then we had a raft of injuries, which didn't help momentum.
“There's no denying we had a lot of young men but they will be better for that experience."
Munster have to face Ulster to finish off this block and need another big performance to avoid a fifth defeat in seven games.
"That's undeniable but we drive on," said Rowntree.
"We keep improving. I'm seeing elements of our game coming through.
"It's been challenging. The injury list has been mounting. Everyone gets injuries, I'm not blaming that, it's a fact.
“There's a lot of young men there having to step up and they're learning. They'll be better for it.”
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