Sau score ends 15-year unbeaten Munster run

MUNSTER paid the price for a final-quarter slump as they fell to a first defeat to Edinburgh at Irish Independent Park in 15 years.

The Scots were good value for the win against a youthful Munster side but Johann van Graan’s men will be disappointed not to have closed out the deal having coming from 10-0 behind in the opening half.

Munster, with only Jack O’Donoghue retained from the side which started against Racing 92, knew they would need to dig deep to carve out a result against a fully loaded Edinburgh side.

A good start would have helped in this quest but they endured a torrid opening and were 7-0 adrift after just three minutes.

Munster handed the opportunity to the Scots when a poor pass from Nick McCarthy to Ben Healy’s toes resulted in the out-half, making his first competitive start, having to concede a five-metre scrum. And Edinburgh turned the screw when centre Matt Scott cut through to score, with Jaco van der Walt adding the extras.

Messed

Edinburgh could have turned the screw more had they not messed up a few lineouts as they tried to build on their good opening.

The experience of the likes of Stephen Archer, making his 200th appearance, Tommy O’Donnell and Arno Botha helped Munster to settle and drive Edinburgh back.

Healy, who suffered a bloody nose in the warm-up, got himself motoring with a penalty after 24 minutes to settle Johann van Graan’s men.

The score lifted Munster and they dominated the game from there to the interval as they finally built the phases on a perfect night for rugby at Irish Independent Park.

Centres Dan Goggin and Sammy Arnold combined for a break which led to a 23-phase assault on the Edinburgh line. The Scots defended stoutly – their line remaining intact when the post-pads were lifted a couple of times – but the pressure eventually told and Tommy O’Donnell was credited with the touchdown courtesy of the television match official Stefano Penne after 36 minutes.

Healy added the extras to tie the game at 10-10 and that’s the way they went in.

Munster hit the front two minutes after the restart as Healy confidently struck a penalty over from 40 metres.

However, Edinburgh countered and look set to regain the lead when hooker Stuart McInally put loosehead Pierre Schoeman through, but the South African was denied, initially by a double tackle from O’Donoghue and Calvin Nash, and then from a driveback from Arnold and Shane Daly before the danger was averted.

Healy extended Munster’s lead to six after 53 minutes with a close-range penalty but that was cancelled at the other end when the experienced Simon Hickey tapped over a penalty shortly after coming on.

The winning score was a quality one with full-back Blair Kinghorn putting Fijian winger Eroni Sau over after 63 minutes with a superb crosskick.

Hickey was unable to add the extras but Munster were unable to find a winning score and it was the Scots who owned the ball in the closing stages.

MUNSTER – S Daly; C Nash, S Arnold (R Scannell 60), D Goggin, A Wootton; B Healy (JJ Hanrahan 60), N McCarthy (N Cronin); L O’Connor (J Cronin 64), R Marshall (K O’Byrne 69), S Archer (K Knox 64); F Wycherley, D O’Shea (J Holloway 60); J O’Donoghue, T O’Donnell (C Oliver 65), A Botha.

EDINBURGH – B Kinghorn; E Sau, M Bennett, M Scott (G Taylor 64), D van der Merwe; J van der Walt (S Hickey 53), H Pyrgos; P Schoeman (R Sutherland 71), S McInally (P Willemse 64), P Ceccarelli (S Berghan 53); B Toolis, G Gilchrist; M Bradbury, H Watson, V Mata.

REF – M Mitrea (Italy).