Fourteen points from the boot of Ronan O’Gara and an all round performance that earned him the Magners Man of the Match award, saw Munster to a 19-16 over Edinburgh at a packed Musgrave Park.
Munster trailed 16-13 with a litle less than ten minutes of normal time remaining but O’Gara knocked over a massive penalty in the 74th minute and then held his nerve admirably, in his first game back in Munstewr colours, to kick the winning penalty four minutes later.
O’Gara gave Munster an early lead with a penalty after just three minutes and kept his side’s noses in front after David Blair had levelled in the 20th minute and then his clever cross field kick was gathered by Denis Leamy for a try out wide that O’Gara converted for a 13-6 lead.
However, Edinburgh responded with a try from prop Allan Jacobsen and Blair’s conversion left the sides level at the break.
The visitors took the lead with another Blair penalty and they must have fancied their chances of holding out as the game drifted towards a finish.
Munster had other ideas however and the tenacity they showed was rewarded with those late strikes from their impressive number 10.