Pre-season friendly/Munster - 13 Newcastle - 10: A try by substitute Maurice Lawler, which he converted himself in the second minute of stoppage time, gave Munster a 13-10 victory over Newcastle Falcons in a highly-entertaining pre-season friendly at Thomond Park last night.
Even though the visitors went into a seven-point lead after only two minutes, with Munster way below strength, there was never any danger of a one-sided contest.
The home pack with Denis Leamy a towering figure in the back row, and Trevor Hogan emerging as a potent force in the second row, held the edge everywhere except in the tight and even there Newcastle were unable to gain an edge.
Jonny Wilkinson, England's World Cup hero, played for an hour but was well contained by Leamy and company although severely restrained as well by poor service by his scrumhalf James Grindal.
Newcastle went in front after two minutes with a try by New Zealand centre Mark Mayer Hofler which Wilkinson converted.
Paul Burke kicked two Munster penalties to narrow the gap to 7-6 at half-time but he missed another chance shortly after the break. Wilkinson pushed Newcastle 10-6 in front on the hour, at which point both teams brought on a number of substitutes which caused the game to lose a lot of its fluency.
Munster were least affected by all the changes and Brian Tuohy and Denis Leamy twice scorned a try-scoring opportunities before Lawler struck in the dying moments.
MUNSTER: C Cullen; S Payne, J Storey, R Henderson, A Horgan; P Burke, M Prendergast; G McIlwham, J Flannery, M Storey, D Ryan, T Hogan, S Keogh, D Leamy, J Williams. Replacements: M McPhail, B Tuohy, M Mullins, M Lawlor, E Reddin, E McGovern, J Blaney, S O'Connor, J O'Connor.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS: J Shaw; E Taione, J Noon, M Mayerhofler, M Stephenson; J Wilkinson, J Grindal; I Peel, A Long, M Hurter, S Grimes, C Hamilton, M McCarthy, P Dowson, C Charvis.
Referee: D Keane (IRFU).
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