URC: Munster 28 Edinburgh 34
Edinburgh were the last team to beat Munster at Musgrave Park and they repeated that feat in convincing fashion, scoring five tries including a hat-trick from man-of-the-match and the game’s premier attacking presence, Matt Currie.
Munster did salvage two bonus points, a try from replacement Sean O’Brien, their fourth in additional time at the end of the match, converted by Billy Burns gave them a reward for perseverance but not the performance.
The Scottish visitors put behind them a home defeat to Zebre last time out to produce a lively, aggressive, and for large swathes dominant performance, underpinned by a scrum that forced half a dozen penalties. How referee Gianluca Gnecchi didn’t reach for a yellow card on foot of repeated transgressions is a mystery.
Brian Gleeson had served notice with some muscular carries and on 14 minutes it was the Munster number eight that played a seminal role in his side’s first try. He shrugged off a tackle in escaping from a Munster scrum that was back-pedalling at a furious rate, made 25 metres, and soon after made another significant carry.
That gave his side the field position close to the Edinburgh line from which Alex Nankivell powered through three tacklers to dot down under the posts. It was an excellent finish which Burns improved upon to give Munster a 7-3 lead having fallen behind to a Ross Thompson penalty.
Is Ireland’s production line of talent beginning to falter?
The Edinburgh outhalf then finished off a sweeping attack initiated by Magnus Bradbury for a try which he converted. Things got worse for Munster five minutes later, a speculative chip through by Ben Vellacott eluded Munster winger Shay McCarthy with Matt Currie quickest to react to touch down.
A dominant Edinburgh scrum gave the visitors access to several penalties and, as a result, the Munster 22, and from this launch pad, Currie grabbed his second and the team’s third try.
The fourth and bonus point try followed in first-half injury time, the scrum again yielding a penalty, and from the lineout, Currie’s superb inside line cut the home defence to shreds and he in turn gave Bradbury a try scoring pass. Thompson’s conversion gave the visitors a 29-7 interval lead.
Munster brought on three replacements at half-time; Stephen Archer, Alex Kendellen and Sean O’Brien, on for Calvin Nash who had taken a belt in the ribs. The home side received a gift on 51 minutes, Thompson’s kick charged down, a precursor to a second try for the hard-working Nankivell.
It was a short-lived respite – three Munster players watched a high ball bounce, the upshot a hat-trick try for Currie. Fullback Ben O’Connor reduced the deficit with a try following an excellent break from McCarthy, replacement Tony Butler added the conversion.
Mistakes continued to thwart Munster’s ambition, handling errors and losing the aerial battle but by far the most debilitating, the scrum. Edinburgh turned down kickable penalties that would have taken them more than two scores clear in favour of chasing further tries. It allowed Munster a chance to grab something from the game, which they did.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 5 mins: Thompson pen 0-3; 14: Nankivell try, Burns con 7-3; 23: Thompson try, con 7-10; 28: Currie try, Thompson con 7-17; 34: Currie try 7-22; 39: Bradbury try, Thompson con 7-29; Half-time 7-29; 51: Nankivell try, Burns con 14-29; 57: Currie try 14-34; 64: O’Connor try, Butler con 21-34; 80: O’Brien try, Burns con 28-34.
MUNSTER: B O’Connor; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, S McCarthy; B Burns, E Coughlan; J Wycherley, N Scannell, J Ryan; E O’Connell, F Wycherley; T Ahern, J Hodnett, B Gleeson.
Replacements: S Archer for Ryan; A Kendellen for O’Connell; S O’Brien for Nash (all half-time); D Barron for Scannell (46 mins); P Patterson for Coughlan (52); M Donnelly for J Wycherley (56); R Quinn for Gleeson; T Butler for Burns (both 60); Burns for Butler (HIA, 75).
EDINBURGH: W Goosen; M Currie, J Lang, M Tuipulotu, R McCann; R Thompson, B Vellacott; B Venter, E Ashman, P Hill; M Sykes, S Skinner; L Crosbie, B Muncaster, M Bradbury.
Replacements: H Watson for Crosbie (3 mins); P Harrison for Ashman (half-time); G Young for Sykes; R Hislop for Venter; M Bennett for Currie (all 65); A Price for Vellacott; D Rae for Hill (both 66); C Scott for Tuipulotu (75); Ashman for Muncaster (77).
Yellow card: P Harrison (75 mins).
Referee: G Gnecchi (Italy).
