Munster chip away at Edinburgh

Munster 30 Edinburgh 3It took them 228 minutes, but CJ Stander's try was Munster's first at Musgrave Park this season, leaving Rob Penney a relieved man among his neighbours as his side chipped away at Edinburgh until they broke.

“I was just rapt. I think we were up 18-3, all kicks. But I still think we were playing some nice footie. We have come here in difficult conditions and really suffered this year and we didn’t want that to happen again. It is a fair relief, I have to live in the community,” said the Kiwi, whose side had previously managed a measly 12 points in two defeats at the venue.

Perfect blueprint

But Saturday’s win – Munster’s fourth over Edinburgh this season – seemed to be the perfect blueprint for future red wins: gain territory, force errors and Keatley will kick you into the lead, before unleashing on a tired opposition late on.

And the outhalf – statistically the best kicker in the Pro12 this season – was superb once again for Munster as he inflicted pain on his former Connacht coach Michael Bradley with some superb kicking.

Keatley’s accuracy helped Munster gradually open up an 18-3 lead, before Stander and Mike Sherry both crossed for tries in the closing action. Considering the win was earned on the back of 12 changes, with Ivan Dineen and Danny Barnes making their first starts of the season, the result was all the more impressive.

“We are really pleased with what we achieved as well, the guys played a good brand and expressed themselves. The way they played in the second-half was commanding. I don’t think they had the ball in the first 20 minutes of the second-half. We just dominated possession and territory and just sucked the life out of the Edinburgh boys,” said Penney

MUNSTER: D Hurley; J Murphy, I Dineen, JJ Hanrahan, D Barnes; I Keatley, D Williams; M Horan, D Varley, BJ Botha; I Nagle, B Holland; CJ Stander, S Dougall, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry for Varley (52 mins), W du Preez for Horan (54 mins), T O'Donnell for Dougall (66 mins), P Butler for Coughaln (66 mins), J Ryan for Botha (66 mins), D Foley for Holland (70 mins), C Sheridan for Williams (70 mins). EDINBURGH: G Tonks; D Fife, B Cairns, B Atiga, T Brown; P Francis, R Rees; J Yapp, A Titterrell, WP Nel; P Parker, I van der Westhuizen; S Cox, S McInally, N Talei. Replacements: G Gilchrist for Parker (52 mins), H Watson for McInally (56 mins), S Lawrie for Titterrall (56 mins), A Jacobsen for Yapp (62 mins), C Leck for Rees (65 mins), L Jones for Brown (77 mins). Referee: I Evans (WRU)