Gutsy Munster Shoot Down Falcons

24th August 2004 By Munster Rugby

A try in injury-time from Mossie Lawlor edged Munster 11-10 of an enthralling tie with Newcastle Falcons and his subsequent conversion gave Munster the perfect boost to the new season.

Lawlor had come on as a replacement in the second half and was immediately put in at out-half in place of Paul Burke who had suffered a slight ankle injury. Lawlor did extremely well to get through a Falcons defence that was desperately defending a four point lead after Jonny Wilkinson had added a a penalty to his earlier conversion of Mark Mayerhofler’s first half try.

It was a victory that Munster richly deserved after a performance that was lights years ahead of what was served up against London Irish. And it was achieved with players who were some way short of experience of rugby, but players who have come up through the Munsnster under-age system including Eugene McGovern, Stephen Keogh, Johnny O’Connor, Denis Leamy, Trevor Hogan and Shane O’Connor a member of last season’s Munster 21 championship winning side and a player who featured in the Ireland side that reached the U21 World Cup final.

There was a lot to admire about the way this Munster side set about overhauling the Falcons in the closing stages. They might have edged ahead a little earlier but Burke’s penalty from 30 metres flew wide and first Brian Touhy and then Leamy were desperately unlucky not to score in the left hand corner.

It all had looked a little ominous in the early stages when mark Mayerhofler ghosted through to score under the posts and Wilkinson tapped over the conversion. However Munster quickly settled down and shored up the defence with Leamy quite outstanding, rookie Donnacha Ryan winning huge praise from the watching Paul O’Connell and Jim Williams doing as he has done for Munster these past years – leading by example.

Burke landed two penalties and the Falcons never really threatened the Munster line so that with the bit between their teeth in the closing stages the young guns finally found the key that unlocked the Newcastle defence and send the home supporters home in much better form than the week before.