Munster 38-6 Edinburgh
Munster were excellent in securing a home Heineken Cup quarter-final with a win over Edinburgh today and fittingly, it was their captain who ensured that it was delivered.
Edinburgh might not have provided the most fearsome of opposition but Munster still had to win and win well in Thomond Park this afternoon to make sure of a home quarter-final and they did in some style with a 32 point victory over a side that shocked them earlier on in the season.
After Edinburgh opened the scoring with a penalty, James Coughlan touched down for an early try to settle things in Limerick and the five-pointers flowed easily afterwards with Johne Murphy, Conor Murray, Simon Zebo and Felix Jones all getting in on the act as well as captain Peter O’Mahony, who looked pretty chuffed to have scored the bonus-point try midway through the second half.
Ian Keatley kicked four conversions on what was a hugely satisfying day at Thomond Park, with an injury to Keith Earls that forced his withdrawal in the first half the only thing spoiling the feelgood factor around the men in red.
The exact identity of Munster’s opponents will remain up in the air until the conclusion of Clermont’s encounter with Racing Metro a little later on, but there remains a possibility of a mouth-watering Munster v Leinster quarter-final in Thomond Park in early April and who (apart from incredibly nervous fans of both sides of course) wouldn’t want to see that?
Pic via Billy Stickland/Inpho
