Munster young guns shoot down Edinburgh

IT says a lot about the strength of a squad that can eke out home and away Heineken Cup victories, then make 13 changes and come away with a bonus-point RaboDirect Pro12 win against one of Europe’s form teams.

That those changes to the Munster team which started this Thomond Park encounter were for the most part forced on Tony McGahan by either injury or the IRFU’s player management programme will be all the more heartening for fans of the province worried about the end of this golden era of success. If Saturday night’s four-try to three win over Edinburgh is a portent, the mid to long-term future of Munster rugby is in assured hands, and homegrown hands at that.

Of the 23 players used this weekend, 21 of them were homegrown, only the Leinster-developed fly-half Ian Keatley and Australian Will Chambers having learned their rugby outside the province.

Having seen a vastly experienced group of players sprinkled with a couple of the next generation’s brightest stars see off both Northampton Saints and Castres, a Munster team with an average age almost three years younger than that which started in Toulouse in the second of those games – and a back line four years its junior – put together an impressive performance in Limerick.

Denis Hurley was excellent in a rare outing at full-back, Tomas O’Leary, the old man of the backline at 28, was sharp and there were well-executed tries from 22-year-old Danny Barnes and 21-year-olds Simon Zebo and debutant Luke O’Dea as well as a penalty try thrown in that was forged on traditional Munster values of forward power and scrum dominance.

Of course this was not a European night and the intensity of the combat was not in the same league of the previous weeks. Munster were also up against a side sent out by Michael Bradley that was below full-strength itself, errant with the boot and all too prone to conceding penalties, 18 of them including the penalty try, with both their starting props spending time in the sin bin during the second-half, five minutes of it together.

By contrast, Munster’s discipline was good, particularly inside their own half and when Edinburgh did get a sight on goal, their kickers converted none of their two penalty attempts and just one of three conversions. Munster captain Mick O’Driscoll was not worried about that and both he and forwards coach Anthony Foley praised his players, young and old.

“Any time you get a bonus point you’ve got to be happy,” O’Driscoll said. “We made 13 changes from last week, a lot of guys probably not playing a lot of rugby in the last four to six weeks at this level, so you’ve got to take positives.

“Luke O’Dea (in his second year with the Munster Academy) was unbelievable for his first start, he looks like a special player. Paddy Butler, Tommy O’Donnell, you can go through them all, just a good team performance.”

Since retiring as a player, Foley has cut his coaching teeth developing Munster’s emerging talent up to last year’s British & Irish Cup campaign before succeeding Laurie Fisher as forwards coach. To him the potential of the next generation is no surprise at all.

“I’ve known these guys for a few years now with the U20’s and coming through the A set-up together. There’s an amazing amount of talent there and at times we overlook it. Guys when they’re coming through, like Luke getting his first start, it’s great for him and his family. I don’t think we saw the best of him either, he’s got amazing feet. With even more time on the ball, he can do damage. And he’s probably better at full-back.

“Simon Zebo is someone we’ve been raving about for a couple of seasons now. He’s got the genuine ability to beat someone. He’s got a genuine ability to stand somebody up and he’s a good footballer on top of that. He likes to think he’s a good dancer but we beg to differ on that at times.

“Ian Nagle, Sean Henry, they’ve been around the club scene and it’s great to come in and put on a performance. Paddy Butler, at 21, he’s a long career ahead of him at number eight and hopefully he can push on.”

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

Pens conceded: 10

EDINBURGH: C Paterson (G Hunter, 77); S Visser, J Thompson (H Leonard, 22), J King (R Hislop, 58-68), T Brown; P Godman (G Laidlaw, 67), M Blair; K Traynor (R Hislop, 68), S Lawrie (capt), J Gilding (L Niven, 63); S Cox, S Turnbull (E Lozada, 67); N Talei (R Grant, 72), R Rennie (L Niven, 53-63), S McInally.

Replacement not used: A Kelly.

Pens conceded: 18.

Yellow cards: Gilding 53-63; Traynor 58-68.

Referee: N. Paterson (Scotland).