Red October sets up December duel

Munster 33 Edinburgh 0

This Munster team is still a long way from where it needs to be if it is to challenge the big guns in the Heineken Cup, although the amazing finish to yesterday’s game against Edinburgh at Thomond Park earned them the most unlikely of bonus points and sets up a mouth-watering clash with Saracens at the same venue on December 8.

Seventeen of their 33 points came in the last seven minutes, with Damien Varley’s try on the final whistle clinching the fifth point that leaves them three adrift of Saracens after the opening two rounds of matches.

It was perfectly understandable that coach Rob Penney and his players should be elated by the outcome of a game that was challenging strongly for the title of worst ever European Cup tie in Limerick until coming to life in the closing stages. And bringing the 22,146 along for the ride.

Thankfully though, there is no sign of any counting of chickens. The first half was dreadfully poor and the second was continuing in similar vein until constant Munster pressure, with Paul O’Connell much to the fore, ended with Conor Murray sniping around the side of a ruck and using guile and strength to force his way over between the posts for Ian Keatley to add the points.

It hardly looked as if Munster were interested in the bonus when Keatley was allowed to knock over a penalty in the 55th minute created by a fierce tackle, his second of the match, by Doug Howlett on Lee Jones but that picture changed dramatically as the game entered its 72nd minute.

The Munster forward became the chief source of attack and it was only fitting the three late tries should have come from back-row men Peter O’Mahony, Sean Dougall and Damien Varley.

“The result leaves us masters of our own destiny but I don’t think that kind of form will be enough when it comes to the matches that lie ahead,” said Penney. “We had a high unforced error count and even though we controlled the game throughout, we are a team travelling in the right direction but still not finishing it off.”

While Penney was delighted with the form of O’Connell, who pinched three Edinburgh lineouts in the first half and was frequently prominent in the loose, he was even more pleased with the contribution of man of the match Murray, who had left himself open to criticism after the defeat by Racing Metro, David Kilcoyne and Sean Dougall.

“It was brilliant to see Conor bounce back after taking some well publicised criticism last week and he was error-free today,” said the coach. “David has been given the opportunity and taken it. He has put down a mark in the sand for the No 1 jersey at Munster and it will be tough for anyone to get it back. Sean is certainly making a big impression for a guy who was playing grade three rugby in England not so long ago, although it may be another two or three years before we see him at his best.”

All of which portrays a rosy picture in the back row, which has looked a dodgy area since the enforced retirements of David Wallace and Denis Leamy. And with South African CJ Stander of the Blue Bulls due here on October 30, things can only get brighter still.

However, everything has to be kept in perspective and a lot more will be known about the potential of this Munster side come the visit of Saracens. At least that game will kick off at 6pm, a popular time with the Red Army, with the certainty that there won’t be an empty space in the stadium. One other thing is for certain, the opposition from the Mark McCall-coached English side will be light years ahead of anything Edinburgh managed yesterday.

“We never put Munster under any pressure at all for the full 80 minutes,” admitted Michael Bradley, whose side have now conceded 78 points in the space of eight days, without managing a single one of their own.

“Munster play a different style to Sarries. They compete more at the breakdown, Sarries put two in there, Munster will put in two, three, four if they sniff anything. “What I like about Munster this year is that they have developed the ability to put the ball wide and they’re getting more confident at it. In six weeks’ time they’ll be better again. The change of management has given them an extra dimension in attack and that’s good because they needed to move on. Sarries are very good at what they do, very organised, and they won’t change. It will be close.”

MUNSTER: D Hurley; D Howlett, C Laulala, J Downey, S Zebo; I Keatley, C Murray; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, B J Botha, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell, D Ryan, S Dougall, P O’Mahony.

Replacements: B Holland for O’Callaghan (61); F Jones for Howlett (64); D Varley for Sherry (62); JJ Hanrahan and P Butler for Downey and O’Callaghan (71); M Horan for Kilcoyne (79).

EDINBURGH: G Tonks; L Jones, N De Luca, B Atiga, T Brown; G Hunter, R Rees; J Yapp, R Ford, G Cross, G Gilchrist, S Cox, D Denton, S McInally, N Talei.

Replacements: M Scott for Atigan 12; W Nel for Cross half time; D Balilaia for Talei 51; D Fife for Hunter 64; A Titterell and R Hislop for Ford and Yapp 75.

Referee: W Barnes (England).