Decisive Edinburgh Encounter
26th April 2016 By Munster Rugby
The current PRO12 standings emphasise the significance of this Friday’s sell-out as Munster welcome Edinburgh to Irish Independent Park for a 7.35pm kick-off. With Edinburgh, Munster and Cardiff Blues in 6th, 7th and 8th respectively, all three sides are essentially playing for one Champions Cup spot.
In what’s proving to be a thrilling season run-in, Round 22 will also play a pivotal role in the chase for top-flight European qualification where Edinburgh host the Blues and Munster welcome fifth placed Scarlets to Thomond Park at exactly the same time (Sunday May 7th at 3pm).
Realistically both Munster and Edinburgh require a victory to keep their hopes of a Champions Cup place alive. The men in red enter this weekend’s clash off the back of interprovincial losses away to Leinster and Connacht and will hope for a return to form in Cork at a ground where they have won twelve of their last 13 games – the one defeat coming against Ospreys on Valentine’s Day.
Edinburgh Rugby have enjoyed a better record of late, winning three of their last five PRO12 fixtures, but away from home, their only victory since early January was by a single point at Newport Gwent Dragons in late March.
Edinburgh have won just once in six previous visits to Irish Independent Park – April 2004 – however the current crop of Munster players are well aware of Edinburgh’s potency in recent seasons with the Scotsmen handing them an opening round defeat at Thomond Park in last season’s league campaign.
| Head To Head – Recent Guinness PRO12 Meetings | |||||
| Date | Venue | M | E | Munster scorers | Edinburgh Rugby scorers |
| Sat 9 Feb 13 | Irish Independent Park | 30 | 3 | CJ Stander(T) Mike Sherry(T) Ian Keatley(C/6P) | Piers Francis(P) |
| Sat 7 Sep 13 | Irish Independent Park | 34 | 23 | James Cronin(T) Ivan Dineen(T) James Coughlan(T) JJ Hanrahan(T/C) Denis Hurley(T) Ian Keatley(2C/P) | Harry Leonard(C/P) Nick de Luca(T) Piers Francis(C/2P) Lee Jones(T) |
| Sat 3 May 14 | Meggetland | 55 | 12 | Andrew Conway(T) Conor Murray(2C) JJ Hanrahan(5C/2P) Denis Hurley(T) Tommy O'Donnell(T) Penalty Try(2T) Damien Varley(T) Duncan Williams(T) | Willem Nel(T) Greig Laidlaw(C) Carl Bezuidenhout(T) |
| Fri 5 Sep 14 | Thomond Park | 13 | 14 | CJ Stander(2T) Ian Keatley(P) | Jack Cuthbert(T) Tom Heathcote(3P) |
| Sat 11 Apr 15 | BT Murrayfield | 34 | 3 | CJ Stander(T) Duncan Casey(T) Conor Murray(T) Keith Earls(T) Ian Keatley(3C/P) Simon Zebo(T) | Tom Heathcote(P) |
| Sat 7 Nov 15 | BT Murrayfield | 16 | 14 | Ian Keatley(C/3P) John Ryan(T) | Will Helu(T) Sam Hidalgo-Clyne(3P) |
Referee: Ian Davies (WRU, 46th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Dudley Phillips, Nigel Correll (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Murray Whyte (IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
Munster v Edinburgh, Guinness PRO12 Round 21, Friday April 29th at Irish independent Park, Cork – KO 7.35pm.
This game is now sold out and will be televised live on TG4.
