Munster returned to winning ways after Johann van Graan’s side secured the bonus-point against a tough Edinburgh side at a cold and blustery Thomond Park.
A hattrick of tries from Simon Zebo, one try from Fineen Wycherley and 14 points from the boot of Ben Healy secured the win.
Munster were the stronger side throughout this game but Edinburgh did enjoy purple patches throughout which ensured that Mike Blair’s side were in with a chance of snatching victory.
Munster started strongly when they won an early penalty as Edinburgh were pinged for not rolling away. Ben Healy put Munster up to the 22m line and from the resulting lineout, Calvin Nash produced a line break. On the next phase, a long pass from Ben Healy bounced awkwardly for Dan Goggin as the Limerick knocked forward.
Munster kept the pressure on as they forced Edinburgh to knock the ball forward as they tried to clear their lines. From the resulting scrum, Casey fired a pass to an onrushing Chris Farrell. Connor Boyle was then penalised for not releasing Farrell in the tackle and this allowed Healy to go for goal as he put Munster 3-0 in front with five minutes played.
Edinburgh then had their first period of possession in the Munster half but Chris Cloete was on hand to latch onto the ball at the breakdown and win the turnover.
That intervention from Cloete would prove crucial as Munster then struck off the resulting lineout. Fineen Wycherley won clean ball at the back of the lineout which provided a good platform for Healy to send Jack O’Donoghue through the Edinburgh defence with a reverse pass. O’Donoghue gained some good ground before offloading to Calvin Nash who brought play deep into the Edinburgh 22.
Munster then went through the phases where Wycherley was on hand to take a pass from Casey at pace and West Cork man crashed over the line for the opening try of the game. Healy’s conversion gave Munster a 10-0 lead after 10 minutes.
A huge hit from Dave Kilcoyne on his 200th appearance allowed Cloete the perfect chance to latch onto the ball for his second turnover of the game. Captain O’Donoghue pointed to the posts and Healy obliged with a thumping 46m effort to put Munster 13-0 up.
Munster had some more possession but were unable to make it count. Edinburgh then took their opportunity with their first real attack of the game as some good passing play released Ramiro Moyano for a try. Emiliano Boffelli’s conversion meant Munster’s lead was reduced to six points.
With five minutes remaining, Edinburgh had a sustained period of possession in the Munster 22 and it resulted in a penalty for the Scottish side as Diarmuid Barron was pinged for impeding the scrum-half. Boffelli’s penalty saw Munster’s lead cut to 13-10 with just a minute left in the first half.
A high tackle on Simon Zebo allowed Munster a chance to kick deep into Edinburgh territory just before the half-time whistle. From the resulting maul, Munster went through the phases before spreading the ball wide to Zebo who went over for Munster’s second try. Healy’s successful conversion from a tough angle ensured a 20-10 lead for Munster at the break.
A loose pass from Blair Kinghorn allowed Munster to apply some pressure in Edinburgh territory at the beginning of the second half. With quick turnover possession, Munster spread the ball wide to Healy who was stopped just short of the line. Unfortunately for Munster, referee Ben Whitehouse adjudged the home side to have knocked on the ball so Edinburgh were awarded the scrum.
The Scottish side then went up the other end of the pitch and scored a penalty through Emiliano Boffelli to reduce the deficit to seven points.
The game then started to open up with both teams making linebreaks. However, it was Munster who were able to get that crucial next score. A quick turnover saw Munster spread the ball wide where Dan Goggin released Mike Haley and the fullback made some good ground before releasing Zebo who was able to ground the ball close to the posts. Healy’s conversion put Munster into a healthy 27-13 lead.
Edinburgh almost responded straight away as they had a lineout from 5m out but Wycherley reached highest to snatch the ball. Unfortunately for Munster, they were tackled behind their own try line which resulted in a 5m scrum to the visitors.
A huge defensive effort from Munster ensued which included a dominant double tackle from John Hodnett and Jean Kleyn. Goggin also came up trumps with a tackle out wide to stop a certain try but the referee brought play back for a penalty under the posts after a period of advantage.
The visitors went to for a quick-tap but Kilcoyne, on his 200th appearance for the province, put in a huge tackle to force a knock on. That would be the Limerick man’s last contribution of the match as he departed proceedings to a huge cheer from the Thomond Park faithful as he was replaced by Jeremy Loughman.
Edinburgh did get their second try with 10 minutes remaining when some sustained pressure saw Henry Pyrgos go over under the posts. Boffelli’s conversion ensured Munster went into the final 10 minutes with a seven point lead.
The southern province weren’t to be denied their bonus-point however, as Munster went down the blindside of a maul where Healy released Zebo and the Cork man made no mistake as he crossed in the corner for his hattrick which also secured a crucial winning bonus point for Munster.
United Rugby Championship Round 12 Roundup
Dave Kilcoyne became just the 12th Munster player to reach the 200-cap landmark for the province.
Jack O’Donoghue was awarded Player of the Match.
Munster have won all their games in Thomond Park this season.
Munster are now up to third in the United Rugby Championship table.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash (Daly 73′), Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Simon Zebo; Ben Healy, Craig Casey (Cronin 70′); Dave Kilcoyne (Loughman 65′), Diarmuid Barron (Scannell 54′), Stephen Archer (Ryan 54′); Jean Kleyn (Kendellen 70′), Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, Chris Cloete (Hodnett 54′), Gavin Coombes.
