TWO first-half tries ensured Munster gripped a seventh win in eight games against Edinburgh in the Scottish capital, but there was little else for either side to savour in a rain-doused affair at Murrayfield last night.
Andy Robinson, the Edinburgh coach, had warned that pre-season wins over Wasps and Bath counted for nothing in the heat of league battle and the impressive crowd of more than 5,400 rued that very fact as their side was outmuscled up front and out-sma
rted wide out by the Heineken Cup champions.
Munster were far from their best, but they sussed the conditions quicker and more effectively than did the hosts. Whereas Edinburgh toiled to give vent to their attacking style despite the persistent rain and wind, Munster slowed it down, pushed the boundaries of legal play around the breakdown, as they do these days without a second thought, and picked off chances with clinical efficiency.
Robinson was pleased with his side's scrum, but heavily critical of the lineouts, insisting they had degenerated into "a jungle" with the new experimental law variations (ELVs), but admitted Munster deserved their win. He said afterwards: "I have just said to the players that they need to learn how to win games playing ugly. They (Munster] know how to stop us playing and we have to be more accurate with the ball because we were our own worst enemies at times. But we realised this was going to be a tough season and there will be times we get bitten – this was one of those occasions."
The weather undoubtedly hampered efforts by both sides to bring a fluidity to their game, the rain falling heavier as the first half progressed, accompanied by a strong wind, but still Munster appeared the sharper side on the park. Edinburgh were grateful for the return of Chris Paterson's right boot from Gloucester in the summer as it was the familiar pendulum swing that kept the hosts in the game with five penalty kicks. Ronan O'Gara missed three at the other end, but he had try-scorers to rely on.
Keith Earls continued his pre-season form, touching down after just three minutes to respond to Paterson's early penalty, Munster having sucked in players on the right side with their trademark picking-and-driving and then sweeping across field to expose an overlap which Earls, after a brief juggle, turned into five points. O'Gara converted and though Paterson struck his second penalty after 22 minutes the hosts continued to play into Munster's hands with sloppy kicks and directionless running.
Alan MacDonald, the Edinburgh blindside flanker, was forced off with a hip injury, replaced by Dave Callam after 29 minutes. Edinburgh's cause was further hampered by slipshod tackling and Munster took advantage with a second try, David Wallace, the Ireland and Lions back row, finishing off another flowing attack after Paul O'Connell and Doug Howlett had broken decisively into space in the home half.
Edinburgh hung on, however, and after Paterson and O'Gara had swapped penalties, No8 Allister Hogg lifted the home support with a terrific burst from a ruck on halfway. He was finally collared on the Munster 22, but Munster's blatant handling of ball on the ground led to Marcus Horan, the loosehead prop, being yellow-carded by Welsh referee James Jones. Edinburgh opted for a scrum, a good idea with the new space around the set-piece to attack, but not so great when pressed as they were to the left touchline and Munster defended it well to hold on to their eight-point lead to half-time.
Nick De Luca, the lively home centre, thought he had scored just eight minutes after the break, leaping superbly against Howlett to grasp Phil Godman's high kick over the try-line. They crashed to the ground together, but after consulting television match official Ian Ramage, Jones ruled 'no try'.
Paterson missed a penalty, O'Gara slotted one, Paterson did likewise and O'Gara missed as both sides strived to make some progress. The match was struggling to find a spark and referee Jones did not help with lengthy delays while he consulted Ramage again, and again was told no try for an O'Connell attempt. Supporters began to stream towards exits, but Callam made them stop with a great break, like Hogg's of the first half, but he could not combine with the support once inside the Munster 22 and the ball dribbled off Paterson into touch. Blair, voted man-of-the-match for his usual livewire efforts in attack and defence, asked Paterson to strike again for the posts with a penalty five minutes from time, and suddenly the game perked up. But it was all-too-brief as Munster closed the game out in the Edinburgh half, smartly underlining the still apparent difference in nous between these sides.
Scorers: Edinburgh: Pens – Paterson 5. Munster: Tries – Earls, Wallace; Pens – O'Gara 2; Cons – O'Gara 2.
Edinburgh: H Southwell; C Paterson, C MacRae, N De Luca, M Robertson; P Godman, M Blair (capt); A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, B Gissing, M Mustchin, A Hogg, A MacDonald. Subs: D Callam for MacDonald 29mins, A Turnbull for Robertson 55,
Munster: D Howlett; K Earls, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, F Pucciariello, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), D Ryan, D Wallace, J O'Sullivan. Subs: T Buckley for Pucciariello 55mins, M O'Driscoll for O'Callaghan, P Stringer, both 60, P Warwick for O'Gara, both 65, J Melck for Ryan 70,
Referee: J Jones (Wales).
Attendance: 5,443.
The full article contains 941 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
