Munster book place in semi-finals thanks to Zebo’s magic moment
SIMON ZEBO signed off his time at Thomond Park with a moment of utter brilliance as Munster set up a Pro14 semi-final with Leinster in two weeks’ time.
Zebo conjured some magic to send Keith Earls over for Munster’s key second try early in the second-half, and despite Nathan Fowles’s response, JJ Hanrahan settled Munster nerves with a late penalty to clinch the win.
Rhys Marshall had given Munster the lead early, but the boot of Sam Hidalgo-Clyne kept Edinburgh in touch, although Richard Cockerill’s side fell just short of shocking the home side in front of 10,205 — officially the lowest Thomond Park attendance of the season.
Surprisingly Munster coach Johann van Grann elected to start JJ Hanrahan at out-half ahead of regular No 10 Ian Keatley, but the new man’s kicking game was very solid. He edged his side into the Edinburgh 22, and when Stuart McInally’s throw overshot the lineout, his opposite number Rhys Marshall gathered. The Kiwi hooker showed impressive footwork to evade Sam Hidalgo Clyne and Duhan van der Merwe on his way over the try-line, Hanrahan converting to hand Munster a 7-0 Munster lead.
A knock-on from Berghan close to the try-line ended a flowing attack started by van der Merwe after 14 minutes, but with Bill Mata a constant threat with ball in hand Edinburgh were regularly given chances to attack Munster wide on the flanks.
Cockerill’s side finally got the score they deserved when James Cronin kicked the ball out of Hidalgo-Clyne’s hands at the breakdown, and the Edinburgh scrum-half dispatched the kick from the 10-metre line midway through the opening period.
Five minutes later Cronin again infringed with a high tackle on Jaco van der Walt and the No 9 added his second penalty to trim the lead to one point.
With Irish international James Ryan ruled out through injury, the last thing Munster needed was tighthead Stephen Archer to leave the action with a shoulder injury after 17 minutes, but his replacement, Ciaran Parker, forced a scrum penalty on the half-hour mark, but Hanrahan missed the target.
The home side’s game was far from polished. Playing his last game in a Munster shirt at Thomond Park, Zebo (below) was lucky to escape unpunished with an aimless kick.
A one-point lead was about as much as Munster deserved at half-time, but Thomond Park was on its feet in worship three minutes after the restart.
When Murray fired a wild pass over Zebo’s head near halfway there was no chance of a try one pass later, but the magical fullback gathered the loose ball, chipped over the defensive line, reclaimed possession himself, and then fired a 20-metre pass to Earls on the left and he cantered in at the corner flag. It was a stunning moment and the winning of the game.
Hanrahan added the conversion from the sideline for a 14-6 lead, and nine minutes later a slow rolling Edinburgh tackler allowed him stretch that lead to 11 points.
Edinburgh looked down and out at that point, but after Peter O’Mahony conceded a breakdown penalty, Hidalgo-Clyne put eight points between the sides after 55 minutes. Four minutes later that lead was just a point again. Again Mata showed impressive feet to break up to halfway, and after quick hands from right to left, the Munster defence could not reset and replacement Nathan Fowles managed to cross for the try. Van der Walt landed the conversion.
However, the home side managed to add the insurance score when Hanrahan slotted a penalty from the ten-metre line.