Munster in front at half time In Murrayfield

At half time in this Magners League clash at an eerily empty Murrayfield, Munster lead Edinburgh by 16 points to 9.

Munster took the lead when referee Phil Fear awarded a penalty try in the 6th minute after Mick O’Driscoll’s good lineout take set his pack rumbling towards the Edinburgh line, Frank Sheahan the one who actually grounded the ball for the try.

Turnover ball provided Simon Webster with an opportunity from the restart and it needed a great covering tackle from Tomas O’Leary to prevent an Edinburgh reply. They reduced the deficit in the 13th minute Phil Godman knocked over a 22 metre penalty from in front of the posts, again Munster giving Edinburgh possession after a turnover.

With Simon Taylor leading the way, the Gunners came more into the game and after Ben Cairns made a clean break Munster were fortunate not to concede a try off their own line-out close to the tryline..

Godman further reduced the gap with his second penalty in the 17th penalty but from the restart Edinburgh were penalised for obstruction and Ronan O’Gara dissected the uprights with a 35 metre penalty. (6-10)

O’Driscoll was sent to the bin at the start of the second quarter but it was Munster who first came closest to a try when Barry Murphy hacked ahead won the race for the line but knocked-on over the line. Under all sorts of pressure on their own put-in Edinburgh were penalised and O’Gara knocked over the penalty for seven point cushion (6-13).

When Brian Carney was penalised for not releasing Godman landed a marvellous effort from his side of Munster’s 10 metre line (9-13) just as O’Driscoll was returning to the fray and four minutes later it was the home side who had their personnel reduced when Taylor was shown a yellow-card for apparently killing the ball at a ruck.

Once again in trouble at scrum time, Edinburgh conceded the penalty and once again O’Gara was unerring with the boot, this time from 40 metres.

Munster: Brian Carney; Anthony Horgan, Barry Murphy, Lifeimi Mafi, Ian Dowling; Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary; Federico Pucciariello, Frank Sheahan, Tony Buckley; Mick O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell capt; Alan Quinlan, John O’Sullivan, Anthony Foley.

Edinburgh:  Lucio Lopez Fleming; Rob Dewey, Ben Cairns, Matt Dey, Simon Webster; Phil Godman, Greig Laidlaw; Allan Jacobsen,  Andrew Kelly, Geoff Cross; Alasdair Strokosch, Scott Murray capt; Simon Taylor,  Alan MacDonald, Allister Hogg.

Referee: Phil Fear (WRU).