Munster pick up bonus points despite URC defeat in Cork to Edinburgh
Munster's Ben O’Connor on the move at Virgin Media Park. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane
Munster may have only lost by six points but in reality, they were well and truly beaten by a dominant Edinburgh side in a one-sided URC clash at Virgin Media Park on Friday evening.
Edinburgh out-half Ross Thompson split the posts from distance in the sixth minute to give the away side a positive start, after the Edinburgh front row had won the first of many scrum penalties.
It was the home side who got the first try. Brian Gleeson carried strongly at the base of a scrum to infiltrate the Edinburgh 22. Munster went left and after Ben O’Connor was just short they moved it centrally where Alex Nankivell bullied his way over in the 15th minute.
Edinburgh were here to play, however, and they responded with a fine try in the 25th minute. Openside Ben Muncaster made a break inside the Munster 22 and fed the supporting Thompson on his inside to cross for his first try for his club.
Four minutes later and Edinburgh struck again. They had a penalty advantage from another dominant scrum and when scrum-half Ben Vellacott chanced his arm with a dink into the corner Shay McCarthy failed to deal with the bobbling ball and Edinburgh’s Matt Currie was on hand to put downward pressure to score.
The Munster scrum was being obliterated and another penalty concession allowed Currie to charge in a quick double in the 35th minute and Munster were in a huge hole.
Changes were badly needed in the front row but the Munster management team did nothing and another scrum penalty gave Edinburgh yet another attacking platform and that man Currie cut through and fed number eight Magnus Bradbury to cross to make it an embarrassing 7-29 at half time.
Nanikivell bounced his way through for his second try in the 52nd minute, after a big carry from Alex Kendellen, to give Munster a modicum of hope.
Unfortunately, despite a load of Munster changes the scrum kept getting destroyed and Edinburgh scored next to kill the tie. A high kick was not dealt with by the Munster back three and the ball fell invitingly for Currie to claim his hat-trick in the 58th minute.
Munster kept playing and put the ball through the hands for a fine Ben O’Connor score in the 65th minute.
A late Paddy Harrison yellow card gave Munster brief hope, but a last-gasp Sean O’Brien try was all they could muster, to at least get out of the night with two bonus points.
B Burns (3 cons), T Butler (1 con), A Nankivell (2 tries), B O’Connor, S O’Brien (1 try each).
R Thompson (1 try, 1 pen, 3 cons), M Currie (3 tries), M Bradbury (1 try).
B O'Connor; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, S McCarthy; B Burns, E Coughlan; J Wycherley, N Scannell (capt), J Ryan; E O'Connell, F Wycherley; T Ahern, J Hodnett, B Gleeson.
S Archer, A Kendellen, S O’Brien for J Ryan, E O’Connell, C Nash (40), D Barron for N Scannell (46), P Patterson for E Coughlan (53), M Donnelly for J Wycherley (56), R Quinn and T Butler for J Hodnett and B Burns (60), B Burns for T Butler (75).
W Goosen; M Currie, J Lang, M Tuipulotu, R McCann; R Thompson, B Vellacott (capt); B Venter, E Ashman, P Hill; M Sykes, S Skinner; L Crosbie, B Muncaster, M Bradbury.
H Watson for L Crosbie (3), P Harrison for E Ashman (40), R Hislop, G Young and M Bennett for B Venter, M Sykes and M Currie (65), A Price for B Vellacott (66), C Scott for M Tuipulotu (75), E Ashman for B Muncaster (78).
Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR).
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