Edinburgh 13 Munster 17
I fancied this game so much I took the whole family up for the weekend, and, along with 11,000 Munster fans, was not disappointed. Edinburgh, under Cockers, are a formidable side, especially up front, and had won 17 from 19 previous home games. They started off like a train, and despite gallant Munster defence, should have been 6-9 points ahead in the first 20 minutes, choosing to kick to the corners to keep the pressure on, rather than take the easier penalty option. In a single score margin game, this would come back to haunt them later, as did the failure to capitalise on Munster having a man in the bin. In fact, Munster scored the first try of the game with only 14, when the (French) ref adjudged that an Edinburgh hand had knocked on a Murray box kick 10m from the line (looked dubious from stands 20m away). Munster made a mess of the scrum, but won the ball, but with no flanker, Pyrgos was allowed to stand next to Murray as he passed the ball out wide, knocking it on in the process. The (French) ref adjudged the offence a penalty (so a deliberate slapdown rather than an attempted intercept) which was harsh. If the Munster 8 had popped the ball to his scrum half, Pyrgos would not have had the opportunity to get near the ball. Anyway, move on. As Earls quickly gathered the ball and took a quick tap, his path to the line was made easier by Murray judo throwing his opposite number to the floor. I am not sure whether he thought Pyrgos had the ball, but regardless it was reckless and should have been referred to the (French) TMO, just as Liam Willams' retaliation caused Sarries try to be ruled out by the (English) ref last week. Earls sauntered over unimpeded and Munster were ahead.
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Brian Jacks could not have done better than the Murray judo throw
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Edinburgh equalised not long after through a Chris Dean try, and then followed another moment of controversy when Conway took out Darcy Graham in the air, causing him to land on his back. Admittedly, Conway only had his eyes (and hands, briefly) on the ball, and did not see Graham coming, but he lost the contest, and therefore, by the letter of the law, had the responsibility to land Graham safely. The (French) ref penalised Conway but did not issue a yellow, which impressed the home crowd no end. It didn't look any better than Stuart Hogg's aerial challenge on Biggar a few years back, for which he got a red, but anyway move on. Just before half time, Jaco van der Walt kicked Edinburgh ahead for a deserved 13 -10 half time lead. The second half was more even, with both teams getting into the opposition 22 but failing to score. Edinburgh had the ball in hands of both wingers, and looked the more dangerous, however, again it was Munster who scored a try against the run of play. Following a soft late hit on the Edinburgh fly half, the ref awarded a penalty on halfway, which would have given the Scottish club a good try scoring opportunity. For some reason, Schoeman the loose head, who was having a stormer, decided to bump Berne with his shoulder as he ran past. Berne did a Salah and claimed mortal wounding, which caused the (French) TMO to wake up and alert the ref, who subsequently reversed the decision. Munster kicked to the corner, and Earls outstripped the Edinburgh cover to score out wide.
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| Earls excellent finish for winning try |
Keith Earls is a favourite of mine. He consistently produces MOM performances for province and country, and, similar to Ben Smith of NZ, does the basics better than anyone. His handling, running lines, defence, decision making and finishing are simply awesome. What followed was multiple waves of patient Edinburgh attack, and phenomenal Munster defence. How neither side made an error in attack or defence in the last 10 minutes was astonishing, and testament to the fitness and mental strength of both teams. In the end, Munster closed out a tight win, with their European experience on the road, and better management of the (French) ref being the difference. Not a classic, with only three tries scored, but a really good contest between two decent sides. Edinburgh should have won the game, but are mixing it with the big boys now, and will learn from the experience. Munster face Sarries in England next up, and will need to create more in attack if they are to progress to their third final.
