O'Driscoll still has point to prove as young guns shine

Munster 34 Edinburgh 17:STAND-IN CAPTAIN Mick O'Driscoll has paid tribute to emerging Munster talent – but says experienced players like himself are not going to give up their places without a fight. The young brigade grabbed the headlines from their latest bonus-point win in the RaboDirect PRO 12 on Saturday night, but veteran lock O'Driscoll said his generation are not ready to step aside just yet.

Tries from fledglings Danny Barnes, Simon Zebo and debutant Luke O’Dea helped secure the win at windswept Thomond Park.

The revenge mission was completed against Michael Bradley’s side with the bonus point after Edinburgh’s indiscipline was punished with a penalty try and O’Dea’s touchdown.

Thirteen changes in personnel from the previous week saw a Munster side take to the field full of intensity and hunger and according to O’Driscoll, the result was most satisfying.

“No matter who you are playing against, any time you get a bonus point you have got to be happy,” said the big secondrow. “There are guys there, me, Marcus, Hayes and Dunners; fellas like that who want to be playing every week and either haven’t been involved or have been on the bench. There is a lot to prove for guys like us.

“And then you have the younger guys who are the same, they all want to be playing European Cup games as well, but for some of them it is more about getting experience and getting back into the groove and putting themselves forward for now and the future.

“I suppose a lot of us are pushing on in years as well and it is vital that these young guys step up to the mark. We are certainly not going to step aside and let them in either, but it is important that these guys take their chances too.”

And the new kids on the block certainly caught the eye when the opportunity arose.

The most senior of the three, Barnes – who has 19 appearances to his name – cantered over for the opening try after barely two minutes, with Ian Keatley’s bright running tearing Edinburgh asunder out wide.

And Zebo, who broke the gain-line on countless occasions, was on hand to claim Munster’s third try after the pack had earlier ground out a penalty try.

But after an assured performance it was O’Dea who sealed the deserved bonus point when he beat the Edinburgh cover in a sprint to get the touch to Will Chambers’ grubber kick.

But at one stage in the second half we were sent scrambling to find out the Scots’ last win at Thomond Park. A Phil Godman try after 12 minutes after a poor kick through from Keatley, was added to by winger Tom Brown’s excellent stretching try nine minutes after the restart, which put just three points between the sides.

This was the time for the old heads to steady the ship and with Donncha O’Callaghan, O’Driscoll and Marcus Horan to the fore in seven reset scrums, the penalty try and the win was secured much to the pleasure of the skipper.

“We were the last game this weekend and we had dropped to fifth or sixth in the table going into tonight,” said O’Driscoll. “It was vital for us to win to get back up to where we belong, certainly in the play-offs, or the top one or two.”

MUNSTER: D Hurley; L O’Dea, W Chambers, D Barnes, S Zebo; I Keatley, T O’Leary; M Horan, D Fogarty, S Archer; D O’Callaghan, M O’Driscoll; B Holland, T O’Donnell, P Butler. Replacements: J Coughlan for Butler (67 mins), D Williams for O’Leary (69 mins), S Henry for Fogarty (69 mins), J Hayes for Archer (69 mins), J Ryan for Horan (75 mins), I Nagle for O’Callaghan (76 mins), T Gleeson for Zebo (76 mins), S Deasy for Keatley (76 mins).

EDINBURGH: C Paterson; S Visser, J Thompson, J King, T Brown; P Godman, M Blair; K Traynor, S Lawrie, J Gilding; S Cox, S Turnbull; N Talei, R Rennie, S McInally. Replacements: H Leonard for Thompson (23 mins), L Niven for Rennie (54 mins), R Hislop for King (58 mins), G Laidlaw for Godman (64 mins), E Lozada for Turnbull (68 mins), R Grant for Talei (72 mins), G Hunter for Paterson (76 mins).

Referee: N Paterson (SRU).