Munster:34 (22) Edinburgh Rugby: 23 (6)
MASTERED AT MUSGRAVE
A thousand mile journey begins with a single step, as Chairman Mao once said. And Alan Solomons has got a big hole to drag the club out of. But it doesn't help much if that initial pace is backwards. That's a bit unfair, but Edinburgh looked undercooked in Ireland this evening. They were well beaten in the end, but the frustrating thing was that many of the home side's points were given away cheaply by the men in black. And when the backs did get the ball in space, they did a bit of damage. It's just that they didn't get it often enough. It's always difficult for a new coaching team to get to grips with a squad early on, but the new regime were not helped by the Gunners having only two pre-season outings, as was the case last year. They should gel in time, but the management need to look at this next year as a mere brace of friendlies simply does not work.
It was two weakened sides that met at Musgrave Park in Cork this evening in the Pro12 opener as the Gunners travelled looking for a rare victory in Munster. Sean 'Coxy' Cox led the side in the absence of injured club captain Greig Laidlaw as part of a nicely balanced back row, alongside the revitalised Dave Denton and Roddy Grant at openside. Greeeg's absence gave Sean Kennedy the chance to start after having impressed at nine towards the end of last season, forming a halfback hinge with Piers Francis, who seems to have been given the nod as preferred starting ten. Prior to kick-off, there were worries about the absence of Visser and Scott in one of the more difficult away trips, but the more I see of Dougie Fife, the more impressed I become and it was a decent enough back division.
The conditions were still and looked good for running rugby. After Edinburgh pressed early on, a flowing Munster attack from halfway nearly reached the Embra line, but good scramble defence forced the turnover at the crucial moment. Both sides were winning quick ruck ball, but Munster seemed to be using it a bit more effectively. It was to prove an ominous sign.
Injury forced Ali Dickinson off on 6 minutes, replaced by Lewis Niven, but the pack immediately smashed the Munster scrum to win a penalty, allowing Francis to clear. And the young ten had a chance to open the scoring with a relatively straightforward penalty on 10 minutes, which he duly knocked over. 3-0 Gunners slightly against the run of play. Munster put in some phases immediately afterwards, with Laulala's sleight of hand a feature, as it was to be throughout, and Keatley seemed to have put Hurley over in the corner. He lost the ball in the Fife tackle, but it looked a good score; the TMO duly awarded it after some cogitation. Keatley's indifferent effort at the difficult conversion left the score 5-3 Munster on 13 minutes.
Munster were back on the attack immediately, after Tonks had failed to gather a high ball, and with the referee playing advantage, a bobbling ball saw Coghlan score in the corner; a much improved conversion effort from Keatley stretched the home lead to 12-3 on 15 minutes. Edinburgh had a good attacking scrum shortly afterwards on an evening when both their scrum and lineout seemed to be functioning well, but Denton's pick and go off the base saw him isolated and pinged for holding on. Then WP was - rightly - penalised for foolishly kicking another guddled high ball from an offside position. Keatley kicked the simple and wholly unnecessary penalty for a 15-3 home lead at the close of the first quarter. Edinburgh desperately needed to get some field position and possession.
They at least won another penalty for a breakdown offence just outside the enemy red zone after a little pressure, Francis duly narrowing the gap to 15-6 on 25 minutes. But Jones gave away a penalty almost immediately, tackling his man in the air. He really couldn't complain at the card and it was another self-inflicted wound, but happily Keatley missed the difficult pot at goal on 28 minutes. The Gunners gave away another penalty under pressure in the red zone, Tonks the man pinged offside. Munster kicked to touch and went for the try, eventually Quinn flopped over beneath the posts after a number of pick and drives. The Romanian referee went to the TMO. Given that it was impossible to see from the replays whether the ball had been grounded and the question had been 'any reason why I cannot award the try', the try was awarded. Keatley's conversion stretched the Munster lead to 22-6 - three tries already and well on the way to the bonus.
On the rare occasions when the Embra men had some pressure, Munster were infringing. The bouffant haired Francis had a long chance on 34 minutes but fell just short. Fortunately, the visitors made it to the end of the power play without conceding again. Indeed, turnover ball saw Fife raced away and only a slip denied him a chance of a score. Murphy was lucky to be only penalised for a cyncial offence on the floor to kill the attack, but Francis missed again to leave the score at the break 22-6. It had been an odd sort of match - at times, it looked a little like a training game, with both sides a fairly subdued presence in defence at the breakdown.
The second half started in similar vein. Edinburgh had a solid defensive maul but didn't get the ball away before the referee awarded Munster the scrum. Edinburgh managed a couple of defensive scrums close in very well and eventually won the penalty that allowed Tonks to clear their lines. Munster spent some time throwing the ball around with gay abandon, but the visitors shepherded them well such that they seemed to be spending most of the time around the middle of the park. Again, the Gunner pack smashed an enemy scrum on halfway and the men in red didn't like it up em; a bit of a dustup enlivening proceedings and a penalty to Edinburgh ensued.
Off the attacking lineout on the 22, Ross Ford's bullocking run broke the gainline, the ball was shifted quickly across, for de Luca to cut back and waltz over for the try under the posts. It was a lovely score. Francis' conversion took the Embra men to 22-13 down and right back in this thing. But the Embra men shot themselves in the head once again. Francis knocked the restart into touch on the full to give Munster an attacking lineout. Although it looked like an offload off the lineout was forward, the home side powered forward, their inside centre crossing for the bonus - 27-13 up on 53 minutes. And though Edinburgh were on the attack from the restart, it was plodding, predictable stuff and it was depressingly inevitable that a lack of accuracy at the breakdown gave away the penalty that allowed Munster to clear.
Harry Leonard came on on the hour as Edinburgh started to get a bit more ball. Yet while Munster were on the defensive, they were getting bodies in the way and the ball secured was desperately slow as a result. Munster were also starting to compete more effectively in the lineout and on the floor. Eventually, they were pinged for another breakdown offence and Harry made no mistake - 27-16 with 18 minutes left to go.
Yet another cock up. This time, after Cuthbert had won a garryowen very well, Edinburgh looked like they had a chance to whip the ball wide with some space. But Kennedy somehow managed to pass the ball to no-one way behind his advancing back division. Munster moved the ball quickly and Sheridan eventually crossed under the post. 34-16 and game over.
Aaargh! Tonks slipped a tackle, committed a man and released Jones superbly. The winger cut back inside to beat two defenders and cross for a fine try on 70 minutes, beautifully converted for a 34-23 deficit. Why didn't we do that before? Maybe a bonus point was still possible as the game opened up going into the final stretch. And Munster gave away a penalty immediately, which Harry knocked close in for the attacking lineout. But Edinburgh were turned over and the opportunity was gone. The game was being played in the wrong part of the field now as Munster killed the clock. A lovely wee break by replacement halfback Sam Hidalgo-Clyne saw the Embra backs break from their own line, but Tonks was well tackled into touch. And that was that.