| O'Gara Returns To Kick Munster To Cork Win |
Munster |
19 - 16 |
Edinburgh Rugby |
| Musgrave Park Att: 8,300 |
| Saturday 3rd November 2007, 19:30 |
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| Playing in his first match since Ireland's World Cup exit, Ronan O'Gara kicked 14 points, including two crucial late penalties, and also created a first half try for Denis Leamy as Munster came from behind to beat Edinburgh at Musgrave Park. |
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| Munster's match winner Ronan O'Gara dinks a kick ahead of Mike Blair of Edinburgh during Saturday's clash in Cork |
| © Inpho Photography |
O'Gara was not the only Munster player to impress, winger Ian Dowling hardly put a foot wrong all night as he offered the hosts a constant attacking outlet and foraged well in defence.
Edinburgh fly half David Blair, making only his second league appearance, gave the Scots every chance of securing their first away win in the competition since they got the better of Munster at Thomond Park in October of last year.
The young number 10 converted prop Allan Jacobsen's try, four minutes before the interval, and also landed his second penalty of the contest, just after the hour mark, to nose his side into a 16-13 lead.
But a late loss of discipline, which included the sin-binning of Jacobsen, allowed O'Gara to firstly level and then edge Munster in front as Declan Kidney's men won for the first time in four league outings.
Edinburgh were forced into a change before kick-off with the club's former Ulster winger Andrew Maxwell venturing south from his native Belfast to take over the left winger berth from the injured Simon Webster.
Munster also made alterations to their bench with former New Zealand Maori back rower Jake Paringatai getting his first call-up and Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam winner Keith Earls stepping in for Rua Tipoki in a late change.
Roared on by a packed out Musgrave Park, Munster nipped into a third-minute lead when a fresh-looking O'Gara bisected the posts.
He knocked his second place-kick off an upright and while Munster quickly regained possession and won a second penalty, which they kicked to touch, the Edinburgh line remained intact.
Alan Quinlan was caught out as he went to retrieve an Edinburgh kick, with the Scots' winger Andrew Turnbull darting up to quickly tackle the Ireland flanker and force a penalty for holding onto the ball on the deck.
Blair smacked the kick through the uprights for 3-3 but Edinburgh soon lost hooker Ross Ford to the sin bin as he slowed up Munster ball following a Peter Stringer break.
O'Gara's second successful penalty was followed by an excellent drop goal from Blair, who looked nerveless throughout when presented with possession by his elder brother Mike, the visitors' scrum half.
Edinburgh were taking their chances when they came, something which Munster, who comfortably led the possession stakes at half-time, were not doing.
The home side's best moment of the match arrived in the 27th-minute when O'Gara dinked a lovely right-footed kick to the left corner for number eight Leamy to gather on the ground and pounce over the line under pressure from the covering Maxwell.
Edinburgh hit back nine minutes later off a swift attack down the right channel. Hugo Southwell, who kicked well from the rear, and Turnbull linked and set up a ruck five metres out.
A smart delivery from Mike Blair to Jacobsen allowed the prop to crash through and with the support of his forward colleagues, the 29-year-old was bundled over the line.
Blair's conversion left the half-time scoreline at 13-13 and the ice cool 22-year-old kicked Edinburgh in front in the 64th-minute as Munster's frustrations began to show.
With six minutes of normal time remaining, Andy Robinson's side were still leading and awaiting a late push from a Munster pack that let themselves down with a number of handling errors.
Just moments later, Munster launched their comeback bid as Jacobsen was sin-binned for pulling down the hosts' best maul of the match and O'Gara mopped up with a very good penalty strike from distance.
Having drawn away at Glasgow last week, Munster were keen to avoid another stalemate and they did just that as O'Gara's place-kicking stood up to the task.
Following a midfield ruck infringement by Ross Rennie, the Ireland fly half angled over the match-winning kick from 42 metres out to send the men in red into their European campaign on a winning note. |
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| First half timeline |
| 3 | Munster | Penalty kick - R O'Gara |
| 20 | Edinburgh Rugby | Penalty kick - D Blair |
| 22 | Edinburgh Rugby | Yellow card - R Ford |
| 22 | Munster | Penalty kick - R O'Gara |
| 25 | Edinburgh Rugby | Drop kick - D Blair |
| 26 | Munster | Try - D Leamy |
| 26 | Munster | Conversion - R O'Gara |
| 29 | Munster | Substitution - K Earls on for B Carney |
| 38 | Edinburgh Rugby | Try - A Jacobsen |
| 38 | Edinburgh Rugby | Conversion - D Blair |
| Second half timeline |
| 47 | Munster | Substitution - T Buckley on for F Pucciariello |
| 56 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - A Allori on for G Kerr |
| 63 | Edinburgh Rugby | Penalty kick - D Blair |
| 69 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - B Meyer on for M Blair |
| 71 | Munster | Substitution - F Sheahan on for J Flannery |
| 72 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - M Mustchin on for S Cross |
| 74 | Edinburgh Rugby | Yellow card - A Jacobsen |
| 75 | Munster | Penalty kick - R O'Gara |
| 76 | Munster | Substitution - F Pucciariello on for J Hayes |
| 79 | Munster | Penalty kick - R O'Gara |
| 80 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - J Houston on for A Maxwell |
| 80 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - A Kelly on for M Mustchin |
| 80 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - M Mustchin on for A Kelly |
| 80 | Edinburgh Rugby | Substitution - P Godman on for D Blair |
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