MUNSTER MAINTAINED THEIR winning start to the URC season but they were forced to dig deep against an Edinburgh side who had four men binned at Virgin Media Park in Cork.
Munster eventually made their numerical advantage count with centre Tom Farrell leading the way with a superb display on a night when they struggled in so many departments.
Edinburgh’s line speed caused Munster untold difficulty but Clayton McMillan’s men eventually did enough with their numerical advantage to chalk up a third win.
Munster have dominated this fixture, winning 31 of their previous 40 meetings, but Edinburgh came into this one with three wins from their ten previous visits to Cork, including their last two trips in 2019 and earlier this year when they were 34-28 victors.
And Edinburgh were full value for their 12-10 interval lead despite suffering two yellow cards which included an eight minute spell before the break when they were down to thirteen men.
Munster got in for their second try when they had the two-man advantage but a malfunctioning and some sloppy handling in good positions meant they had nothing to show for their extra men than Michael Milne’s second try for the province when he spun away to score after Jack O’Donoghue had collected a penalty to the left corner after 33 minutes.
That was where Munster also scored their first try after just two minutes. Winger Andrew Smith took a quick throw to Calvin Nash whose grubber deceived Darcy Graham after he scarpered across and Smith was on hand to score in the left corner.
But Edinburgh took over from that. Munster failed to deal with the restart and an infringement from Jean Kleyn led to a penalty to the right corner and the Scots scored off it when hooker Ewan Ashman, one of three Lions in their starting side, got through to score and level after seven minutes.
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Former Munster out-half Ben Healy hit the woodwork with the conversion from the right but the Tipperary native added the extras after 15 minutes when scrum-half Ben Vellacott scored when he sniped from close range after Munster made a mess of a defensive lineout deep inside their 22.
That pushed Edinburgh 12-5 in front but a retreating offside as Munster pressed in the left corner led to a yellow card for replacement lock Glen Young after 28 minutes and two minutes later an upright tackle from tighthead D’arcy Rae which led to a HIA for Mike Haley.
Munster failed to make the extra men count with just Milne’s try, again unconverted by JJ Hanrahan, at the end of a half which also saw their casualty list, with eight players unavailable for this clash, increase by the 24th minute loss of tighthead Oli Jager who was replaced by John Ryan, in addition to Haley who was replaced by Dan Kelly.
The ten changes from the side which defeated Cardiff in Limerick the previous week meant Munster continued to be disjointed after the restart despite some good probes from Farrell, their player of the season in his maiden campaign last term.
And it was Edinburgh who extended their lead after 48 minutes from a superb crosskick from James Lang which was collected by Darcy Graham ahead of Paddy Patterson and he slipped past Smith to score an excellent try which Healy converted for 19-10.
Replacement flanker Freddy Douglas was the third Edinburgh to be binned after 53 minutes after a scramble following another good break from Farrell. It took Munster five minutes to make the extra man count, again with a Farrell break the key and while Kelly was stopped short, Milne scored his second from the next phase although Hanrahan was again unable to add the extras.
That left Edinburgh leading 19-15 going into the final quarter. One of the biggest cheers of the night from the crowd came when Edwin Edogbo replaced Jean Kleyn, the Cobh native coming on for his first action in 22 months after an injury nightmare.
Munster were on the backfoot when Edinburgh suffered their fourth yellow card when skipper Magnus Bradbury was binned for a croc-roll on Lee Barron.
Another Farrell break from the lineout from the penalty made the initial crack and a couple of phases later Fineen Wycherley squeezed over for a 20-19 lead in the right corner with Tony Butler off target with the conversion.
Gavin Coombes had a try scratched on review in the final minute for a knock-on and Edinburgh, with two penalties, went from their own line to the opposition 22 but were turned over just when they were within striking distance of snatching the win.
Munster scorers
Tries: M Milne (2), A Smith, F Wycherley.
Conversions: JJ Hanrahan (0 from 3), T Butler (0 from 1),.
Edinburgh scorers
Tries: E Ashman, B Vellacott, D Graham.
Conversions: B Healy (2 from 3)
Munster: Mike Haley (Dan Kelly 31); Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Seán O’Brien, Andrew Smith; JJ Hanrahan (Tony Butler 70), Paddy Patterson (Ethan Coughlan 60); Mikey Milne (Josh Wycherley 61), Diarmuid Barron (c) (Lee Barron 52), Oli Jager (John Ryan 24); Jean Kleyn (Edwin Edogbo 55), Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, Ruadhán Quinn (Brian Gleeson 46), Gavin Coombes.
Edinburgh: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Piers O’Conor (Paul Hill 36-40), James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe; Ben Healy (Charlie Shiel 76), Ben Vellacott; Pierre Schoeman (Boan Venter 50), Ewan Ashman (Paddy Harrison 66), D’arcy Rae (Hill 50); Marshall Sykes (Glen Young 18-40), Sam Skinner; Liam McConnell (Freddy Douglas 50), Dylan Richardson (Ben Muncaster 50,), Magnus Bradbury (c).
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Edinburgh suffer four sin bins as Munster dig deep to maintain winning start
Munster 20
Edinburgh 19
Kevin Fallon reports at Virgin Media Park
MUNSTER MAINTAINED THEIR winning start to the URC season but they were forced to dig deep against an Edinburgh side who had four men binned at Virgin Media Park in Cork.
Munster eventually made their numerical advantage count with centre Tom Farrell leading the way with a superb display on a night when they struggled in so many departments.
Edinburgh’s line speed caused Munster untold difficulty but Clayton McMillan’s men eventually did enough with their numerical advantage to chalk up a third win.
Munster have dominated this fixture, winning 31 of their previous 40 meetings, but Edinburgh came into this one with three wins from their ten previous visits to Cork, including their last two trips in 2019 and earlier this year when they were 34-28 victors.
And Edinburgh were full value for their 12-10 interval lead despite suffering two yellow cards which included an eight minute spell before the break when they were down to thirteen men.
Munster got in for their second try when they had the two-man advantage but a malfunctioning and some sloppy handling in good positions meant they had nothing to show for their extra men than Michael Milne’s second try for the province when he spun away to score after Jack O’Donoghue had collected a penalty to the left corner after 33 minutes.
That was where Munster also scored their first try after just two minutes. Winger Andrew Smith took a quick throw to Calvin Nash whose grubber deceived Darcy Graham after he scarpered across and Smith was on hand to score in the left corner.
But Edinburgh took over from that. Munster failed to deal with the restart and an infringement from Jean Kleyn led to a penalty to the right corner and the Scots scored off it when hooker Ewan Ashman, one of three Lions in their starting side, got through to score and level after seven minutes.
Former Munster out-half Ben Healy hit the woodwork with the conversion from the right but the Tipperary native added the extras after 15 minutes when scrum-half Ben Vellacott scored when he sniped from close range after Munster made a mess of a defensive lineout deep inside their 22.
That pushed Edinburgh 12-5 in front but a retreating offside as Munster pressed in the left corner led to a yellow card for replacement lock Glen Young after 28 minutes and two minutes later an upright tackle from tighthead D’arcy Rae which led to a HIA for Mike Haley.
Munster failed to make the extra men count with just Milne’s try, again unconverted by JJ Hanrahan, at the end of a half which also saw their casualty list, with eight players unavailable for this clash, increase by the 24th minute loss of tighthead Oli Jager who was replaced by John Ryan, in addition to Haley who was replaced by Dan Kelly.
The ten changes from the side which defeated Cardiff in Limerick the previous week meant Munster continued to be disjointed after the restart despite some good probes from Farrell, their player of the season in his maiden campaign last term.
And it was Edinburgh who extended their lead after 48 minutes from a superb crosskick from James Lang which was collected by Darcy Graham ahead of Paddy Patterson and he slipped past Smith to score an excellent try which Healy converted for 19-10.
Replacement flanker Freddy Douglas was the third Edinburgh to be binned after 53 minutes after a scramble following another good break from Farrell. It took Munster five minutes to make the extra man count, again with a Farrell break the key and while Kelly was stopped short, Milne scored his second from the next phase although Hanrahan was again unable to add the extras.
That left Edinburgh leading 19-15 going into the final quarter. One of the biggest cheers of the night from the crowd came when Edwin Edogbo replaced Jean Kleyn, the Cobh native coming on for his first action in 22 months after an injury nightmare.
Munster were on the backfoot when Edinburgh suffered their fourth yellow card when skipper Magnus Bradbury was binned for a croc-roll on Lee Barron.
Another Farrell break from the lineout from the penalty made the initial crack and a couple of phases later Fineen Wycherley squeezed over for a 20-19 lead in the right corner with Tony Butler off target with the conversion.
Gavin Coombes had a try scratched on review in the final minute for a knock-on and Edinburgh, with two penalties, went from their own line to the opposition 22 but were turned over just when they were within striking distance of snatching the win.
Munster scorers
Tries: M Milne (2), A Smith, F Wycherley.
Conversions: JJ Hanrahan (0 from 3), T Butler (0 from 1),.
Edinburgh scorers
Tries: E Ashman, B Vellacott, D Graham.
Conversions: B Healy (2 from 3)
Munster: Mike Haley (Dan Kelly 31); Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Seán O’Brien, Andrew Smith; JJ Hanrahan (Tony Butler 70), Paddy Patterson (Ethan Coughlan 60); Mikey Milne (Josh Wycherley 61), Diarmuid Barron (c) (Lee Barron 52), Oli Jager (John Ryan 24); Jean Kleyn (Edwin Edogbo 55), Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, Ruadhán Quinn (Brian Gleeson 46), Gavin Coombes.
Edinburgh: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Piers O’Conor (Paul Hill 36-40), James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe; Ben Healy (Charlie Shiel 76), Ben Vellacott; Pierre Schoeman (Boan Venter 50), Ewan Ashman (Paddy Harrison 66), D’arcy Rae (Hill 50); Marshall Sykes (Glen Young 18-40), Sam Skinner; Liam McConnell (Freddy Douglas 50), Dylan Richardson (Ben Muncaster 50,), Magnus Bradbury (c).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
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Edinburgh fingertips Munster Rugby URC