Things have changed, changed quite significantly.
Leinster's third defeat in four games, to Ulster in Belfast on Saturday night, combined with Munster's eighth win in a row sees the sides swap spots in the BKT United Rugby Championship standings.
The move to Croke Park and the full house against Northampton had fans beginning to think about a 2009 rematch between Leinster and Munster at GAA HQ.
It's highly unlikely now with Leinster's hope of getting the number one seed resting on Munster fluffing their lines at home to Ulster in a fortnight.
The table has turned and it's now Graham Rowntree's men, the defending champions, one sometimes has to remind oneself, who hold the trump card after their 29-26 success over Edinburgh and results-depending could host Leinster in a knock-out game.
That brings into play the possibility that Munster could look to host the match at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, where they have played Crusaders as recently as February and a South Africa XV in 2022.
If there's no change in the league table after round 18, then Munster would host Benetton in the quarter-finals and Leinster would welcome Ulster looking for a first win in three meetings this season.
Thereafter, positive results would set the rivals on a collision course for a knock-out clash.
While the tournament organisers are in contact with all 11 clubs still in the running for play-off places around possible venues for post-regular-season games, it is understood that Munster have not broached the possibility as of Monday afternoon.
However, there is nothing in the URC’s book that would rule out the ground as a home venue should Munster consider a switch to Cork.
Munster, who could still finish fourth in the standings depending on results in round 18, have been approached for comment.
A week after Leinster and the Saints filled out the famous Dublin 3 venue, and as Rowntree supped a cold beer in the press room at Thomond Park following their derby win over Connacht, the Englishman was asked about the prospect of a game at a larger venue.
"Haven't got a clue," he told RTÉ Sport giving the genuine impression it hadn't crossed his mind.
Now, however, the temptation to look for another slot at Páirc Uí Chaoimh would be completely understandable, especially if Leinster were on the billing.
Thomond Park in Limerick has a capacity of 26,000 and is far from the fortress it once was.
In fact, Leinster have a great recent record there; Munster's last home win against the Blues was in December 2018.
The potential of an additional 19,000 fans is nothing to be sniffed at either, both from a financial point of view and as an opportunity to add to what would already be a mouthwatering renewal of the rivalry that's getting back to what it was during the noughties.
"Obviously but that's nothing to do with us, like," said Munster forward Jack O'Donoghue, when asked after the Connacht game about another run-out at the Cork venue, which holds 45,000.
The number 8 (below) captained the team against the South Africa XV.
"Look, certainly whatever goes on behind the scenes, we’ll turn up wherever we need to turn up and put in a performance."
It was confirmed on Saturday that the Ireland WNT would host France at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in their Euro 2025 qualifier on 16 July.
The GAA has laid a large welcome mat at the front door of the stadium, which is understood to have a substantial debt close to €30m, as reported by RTÉ in January when a naming rights controversy arose.
It should also be noted that Munster had months to sell the tickets for the South Africa XV (41,400) and Crusaders (40,885) games, while they would only have a maximum of six days to market a URC knock-out game; that's less of an issue if Leinster were the visitors.
There are senior hurling and football matches in the All-Ireland series on the weekend of the URC final, 22 June, and they may also come into the equation if the two Irish provinces make it to the final.
All attention this week will turn to Leinster's bid to win the Investec Champions Cup final against Toulouse and Thomond Park is Munster's default home venue for matches of this nature.
However, as we've seen in the past, the clamour to go big is never far from the surface when it comes to popular campaigns that don't appear to have any significant downsides.
There are many games to be played ahead of that eventuality but stranger things have happened.
Watch highlights of the weekend's action on Against the Head, 8pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
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