NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED
7 November 2003 - Edinburgh Rugby 20 Munster 9
Perhaps this column has been partly to blame for Edinburgh's recent run of defeats. The above headline was pre-typed before the Ulster and Dragons games, tempting fate, only to be put away with a sigh in the Ed's caption cupboard for another day as the Gunners were bested on both occasions. Sorry. Happily, it can at last be dusted off and revealed to an expectant public as Edinburgh overcame visiting Munster 20-9 tonight at Meadowbank.
Both squads have been hit hard by World Cup calls - Edinburgh have eight men Down Under, Munster eleven - and are not up there with the front-runners in the Celtic League as a result. But this was an important win for the Gunners. With travel being a key factor, the team that wins the League will be the one that wins its home games and grinds out victories in enemy territory. Already the League has turned into a dogfight, with only Ulster and the Scarlets clear of the pack. Indeed, the Borders secured an excellent victory over the Ospreys at Netherdale tonight. Edinburgh now have a 50% record after four home and four away games and need to find ways to repeat their thrilling away win in Dublin in September if they are to challenge for honours.
A strong set-piece will help, and tonight's performance in that area was far better than last week's at Rodney Parade. Craig Smith had a solid game at loosehead and the scrummage was much improved. The back row shone, with the youngsters stepping up to the mark after talismanic Todd Blackadder was substituted after ten minutes with a nasty cut to his finger. Lawson, Webster, Southwell and Laney stood out in the backs, a unit that was also disrupted early on, with the departure of Tom "Tank" Philip after 20 minutes, to be replaced by Di Rollo.
But it was the Gunners' immense defence that won the game for them. As Ally Hogg said after the game, "the boys put in a great shift. Our defence was outstanding for the amount of possession that Munster had." Munster indeed had much of the possession and spent most of the game in Edinburgh territory. A little more invention in the backs might have paid dividends for them, but they persisted with inside passes to big runners up the middle throughout the game. There were some close things, with excellent last ditch tackles from Lawson and Webster in particular, but try as they might, the Munstermen could not breach the Gunners' line. It was a hugely physical confrontation, but the Gunners' fitness held out, allowing them to deny Munster even a bonus point for a narrow loss.
In the light of Eddie Jones' comments this week, sensitive Australian readers may wish to look away now - the game saw a great deal of what John Beattie would no doubt describe as "blood and snotters". Good old-fashioned stuff, and thrilling to watch, with the home crowd playing their part by generating a hostile atmosphere for the visitors. Ally Hogg paid tribute to the support: "You were very vocal, particularly when you thought the ref had got it wrong!" While the young No 8 was, of course, too diplomatic to offer his view on the referee's performance, he continued "When the fans up the noise levels it really helps us on the pitch." Let's have more of the same in December when Toulouse come to call.
Linford Christie was wont to say that he aimed to start the 100 metres on "the B of Bang." So far this season, the Gunners have tended to start somewhat later in the alphabet, and we saw the same again tonight. Munster were 3-0 up after two minutes with an O'Sullivan penalty. Edinburgh were looking a little tentative, and dodged the bullet when O'Sullivan hooked a second penalty horribly several minutes later. The hefty Munster backline, in particular Mike Mullins, were proving a handful, and generally making it over the gainline.
Brendan Laney opened the Gunners' account on 20 minutes with a peach of a kick from the Munster ten metre line, after he had been taken out late by a Munster defender. When Hogan was carded for handling in the ruck once too often on halfway, the bizarrely-nicknamed Boofa stepped up and stroked the ball over again to give Edinburgh a slender 6-3 lead. The score seemed to gee the Gunners up, and the pack came more and more into the game. An excellent driving maul was driven over for a score by Andrew Dall on the half hour, Laney goaling from an acute angle. All of a sudden, Edinburgh were 13-3 up. An O'Sullivan penalty took the score to 13-6 Gunners at half-time.
Munster had won on their previous two visits to Edinburgh, not necessarily because they were the better team, but because they were more professional in their attitude. And even with so many regulars missing, they again refused to panic and trusted that their gameplan would gradually produce points from pressure, even scorning an eminently kickable penalty in front of the posts for a scrum. They turned the screw in the first ten minutes after half-time, but the Edinburgh defence was equal to the task. After 50 minutes, a Laney clearance failed to make touch on halfway. Simon Webster, following up the kick, picked up the ball in space and set sail for the Munster posts. Although he looked to have the gas to beat the desperate Munster cover, he put Hogg away for an excellent breakaway try. Laney converted and the home crowd went berserk. 20-6.
Although O'Sullivan pulled three points back with his third penalty of the game, the scoring was over for the match, though not the tension. The referee played what seemed like an age of injury time, but still Munster could not break through. They put such a lot into the game, but came away with nothing. The Gunners have been there several times this season themselves.
So the Gunners head back up the Celtic League, and back to winning ways in time for their second trip of the season to Galway City, this time for the Cup semi-final against Connacht. Tonight's game was excellent preparation for that match, as Connacht play a similar style of rugby to Munster. Edinburgh will want to have Blackadder and Laney fit for the trip. The headline in the caption cupboard for next week says "Edinburgh Through To Final". It's up to the Young Guns to deliver.
A number of intrepid Gunners fans will be heading over for the game by various routes. As always, if you'd like to go, get in touch with Ann at Edinburgh Rugby on 0131 346 5252 or edinburghrugby@sru.org.uk who can ensure that the travelling support sit - or stand - together. Apparently there's a bar at The Sportsground.
MAN OF THE MATCH:
The sponsors' award went to BRENDAN LANEY, while ALLY HOGG picked up the coveted Supporters Club trophy.
Read Bill Lothian's verdict in the Evening News: http://www.sport.scotsman.com/rugby_superteams.cfm
For a Munster reaction visit: http://www.munsterrugby.ie
Scorers: Edinburgh: Laney 2P 2C, Hogg 1T, Dall 1T
Munster: O'Sullivan 3P
Yellow cards: Lee, Hogan
Edinburgh team: D Lee, S Webster, C Joiner, T Philip (Di Rollo 20), H Southwell, B Laney (Warnock 68), R Lawson (Burns 66), C Smith, A Kelly (Di Ciacca 67), R Mathieson (Brannigan 64), G Perrett (Pike 44), A Kellock, T Blackadder (Dall 10), A Hogg, S Cross. Replacements: C Di Ciacca, J Brannigan, N Pike, A Dall, G Burns, A Warnock, M Di Rollo.
Munster team: Crotty; McPhail, Mullins, O'Sullivan, Lawler; Holland Reddan; Kerr, Long, Roche, Hogan, Keogh, Leamy, McMahon, Williams (Capt) Replacements: McGovern, Blaney, Sheehan, Hayes, Murphy, Matthews, Casey
Referee: H Watkins (Wales)