Edwin Edogbo, Thomas Ahern (two), Diarmuid Barron, Alex Nankivell, John Hodnett scored tries as electric Munster put in brilliant attacking display to beat URC league leaders Glasgow; Warriors scored five tries on the night, despite being outplayed, four of which came via rolling mauls
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 01/12/23 11:42pm
John Hodnett scored one of six Munster tries, as a superb attacking performance saw them beat URC league leaders Glasgow
A superb display of attacking rugby saw Munster clinch a 40-29 victory over URC leaders Glasgow Warriors at a freezing cold Musgrave Park in Cork on Friday evening.
Tries from second row Edwin Edogbo, blindside Thomas Ahern (two), hooker Diarmuid Barron, centre Alex Nankivell and openside flanker John Hodnett saw Munster to a comprehensive success.
Glasgow found themselves 19-0 down early, and never managed to get within striking distance of getting back into the contest, but their rolling maul remained an exceptionally potent weapon, with no fewer than four of their five tries coming via that facet.
Back-rows Sione Vailanu and Rory Darge, hooker Johnny Matthews and replacement hooker Angus Fraser each touched down, in addition to the awarding of a penalty try for a maul collapse, ensuring a try bonus-point was collected at least.
Munster hit the front via Edogbo’s eight-minute try, as the powerful 21-year-old vaulted over from close range to score, rewarding Munster’s early persistent ambition in kicking penalties to touch rather than for the posts.
The visitors were soon reduced to 14 players when loosehead Nathan McBeth was sin-binned for persistent team infringements, after he rolled into the way of Munster scrum-half Craig Casey, after Glasgow had been warned for a series of penalties conceded within their 22 prior to Munster’s opener.
Lock Edwin Edogbo dived over for Munster’s opening try in the eighth minute
At just 20-years-old, Edogbo looks a hugely promising and exciting prospect
On 13 minutes, the hosts’ second try arrived through Ahern, as he used all of his 6’9″ frame to soar into the air and claim a Shane Daly kick-pass, before being dangerously taken out in the air by scrum-half Sean Kennedy, brushing it off to return to his feet and force his way over in the corner with Sean O’Brien providing support on his shoulder.
Crowley missed the tough conversion as Kennedy was extremely fortunate not to be shown yellow, but less than three minutes after that score, Munster notched a try of the season contender, as skipper Barron finished a sensational coast-to-coast move from Munster’s own 22, with outside-centre Antoine Frisch to the fore in a move which saw the ball shipped between Crowley, Daly, Frisch, Ahern, O’Brien, Nankivell, Casey and, finally, Barron.
Crowley converted off the touchline for 19-0, but Glasgow were next to score when flanker Vailanu touched down at the back of a dominant rolling maul after Warriors 10 Duncan Weir had produced a superb penalty kick to touch, earning every inch into the corner.
Weir produced a poor conversion miss, though, before a trademark Tadhg Beirne breakdown penalty put Munster back into the Glasgow 22 past the half-hour mark, only for two lost lineouts resulting in chances going begging.
Ahern then notched his second three minutes before the break, after another spellbinding phase of Munster attack through multiple passes and phases in the Glasgow half, with No 8 Gavin Coombes making the key burst.
The athletic Thomas Ahern scored two tries on the night in a brilliant display
Another outstanding touchline Crowley conversion left things at 26-5, but just over 90 seconds into the second half, Glasgow scored their maul try, this one taking far longer to reach the try-line but doing so all the same as backs piled in for hooker Matthews to touch down.
A key O’Brien interception halted Glasgow just as they looked dangerous on the counter, and just before the 50-minute mark, Kiwi midfielder Nankivell pressed the accelerator and leapt over for his first Munster try, as a wealth of pressure by the hosts was again translated into points.
Glasgow tighthead Lucio Sordoni was sin-binned despite the try for repeated penalties again in the 22. Yet, despite the numerical disadvantage, Glasgow notched two tries in seven minutes as Munster continued to fail to deal with the Warriors attacking maul.
Darge forced his way over, before a penalty try was awarded for a rolling maul collapse, meaning the Warriors would leave with at least one point, as Munster’s Beirne was also sin-binned for the act.
Munster rolled up their sleeves and got the crucial next score with 15 minutes to play, all-but wrapping up victory as Hodnett somehow forced his way over past a maze of legs and arms from a five-metre tap attack.
Glasgow had the final say – yet another maul try – as Fraser belatedly grounded for a consolation in the final minute, but Munster were left to celebrate a valuable league success before heading into two rounds of European Cup action.