Edinburgh 18-31 Munster: Irish side come back to clinch URC victory

Munster produced a strong second-half showing to come from behind and dent Edinburgh’s good home record in the United Rugby Championship.

Craig Casey’s try had kept Munster in the game, and Rory Scannell and Calvin Nash scored either side of half-time to turn the tide.

Then Gavin Coombes and Joey Carbery crossed as Munster eased to victory.

Their bonus-point win moves Graham Rowntree’s side up to seventh in the URC standings, while Edinburgh, who were kept scoreless in the second half, stay fifth.

Both sides paid tribute to the late Doddie Weir before kick-off, after the former Scotland international died last week following his battle with motor neurone disease.

Fans turned out in tartan and held a minute’s applause for the Scottish rugby icon, and Edinburgh responded with a strong start.

Dean scampered past the last defender and under the posts after Luke Crosbie punctured the Munster defence with a powerful burst.

Then Graham continued his scintillating form by picking off Carbery’s risky pass to sprint 55m and score in the corner as Edinburgh looked set to add to their three home wins from four this season.

But Munster scrum-half Casey sniped over from the fringes after a rolling lineout maul to reduce the deficit to five points, before Edinburgh put together a strong move which ended with Ritchie barging over.

Blair Kinghorn missed the conversion for the second time, and Munster produced what would prove the turning point on the stroke of half-time when Scannell squeezed over.

Carbery had a perfect night with the boot and made it a three-point game at the break and the visitors came out a different team in the second-half.

Carbery’s lovely disguised pass put Nash after two minutes, and then some strong running allowed Coombes to power past the Edinburgh defence and clinch the bonus point.

And Munster eased towards the winning line as fly-half Carbery stroked over a penalty and scored with the last play to take his personal haul to 18 points, and seal an important victory.

Line-ups

Edinburgh: Goosen, Graham, Bennett, Dean, Van der Merwe, Kinghorn, Vellacott; Schoeman, Harrison, De Bruin, Hodgson, Gilchrist, Ritchie, Crosbie, Mata.

Replacements: Cruse, Venter, Nel, Sykes, Haining, Shiel, Van der Walt, Lang.

Munster: Daly, Nash, Frisch, Scannell, Zebo, Carbery, Casey; Loughman, Scannell, Ryan, Kleyn, Beirne, O’Mahony, Hodnett, Coombes.

Replacements: Barron, Wycherley, Salanoa, O’Donoghue, Kendellen, Patterson, Crowley, Campbell.

Referee: Mathieu Raynal

Assistants: Ian Kenny & Ross Mabon

TMO: Philippe Bonhoure