TWO QUALITY FINISHES from Edinburgh made the difference on an evening that was otherwise short on entertainment at BT Murrayfield.
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It took 18 minutes for the deadlock to be broken by Munster who, playing into a chilly wind, had spent no meaningful time beyond the Edinburgh 22, but JJ Hanrahan registered those opening points with their first opportunity from a penalty 30 metres out.
They drew encouragement from that and had the better of things until Edinburgh produced a try from nothing four minutes ahead of the break.
Dougie Fife set it up, collecting the ball deep in own territory, finding a way between two tacklers then getting to the visitors’ 22 before van der Merwe arrived in support to receive his perfectly timed scoring pass.
Munster reclaimed the lead nine minutes into the second half with a second Hanrahan penalty and soon afterwards were given a personnel advantage when Jason Harries was sin-binned for tackling Robin Copeland high and with minimal use of his arms.
However, it was the 14 men who reacted better, attacking furiously and initially thinking they had scored when van der Walt put Dougie Fife over on the right, only for his pass to be adjudged forward.
Undeterred they maintained the pressure and when, on the other flank, the stand-off saw that fellow South African van der Merwe was in some space, he took full advantage, his miss pass to the left winger giving him just enough time to step inside Dan Goggin’s attempted tackle, then power into the corner for a try that van der Walt converted well.
Dunc Weir then had a chance to wrap things up for his side when they were awarded a penalty five minutes from time and there was enough behind his long-range effort, but it drifted wide of the right post.
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Munster suffer narrow Pro14 defeat in Edinburgh
Edinburgh 12 Munster 6
Kevin Ferrie reports from BT Murrayfield
TWO QUALITY FINISHES from Edinburgh made the difference on an evening that was otherwise short on entertainment at BT Murrayfield.
It took 18 minutes for the deadlock to be broken by Munster who, playing into a chilly wind, had spent no meaningful time beyond the Edinburgh 22, but JJ Hanrahan registered those opening points with their first opportunity from a penalty 30 metres out.
They drew encouragement from that and had the better of things until Edinburgh produced a try from nothing four minutes ahead of the break.
Dougie Fife set it up, collecting the ball deep in own territory, finding a way between two tacklers then getting to the visitors’ 22 before van der Merwe arrived in support to receive his perfectly timed scoring pass.
Munster reclaimed the lead nine minutes into the second half with a second Hanrahan penalty and soon afterwards were given a personnel advantage when Jason Harries was sin-binned for tackling Robin Copeland high and with minimal use of his arms.
However, it was the 14 men who reacted better, attacking furiously and initially thinking they had scored when van der Walt put Dougie Fife over on the right, only for his pass to be adjudged forward.
Undeterred they maintained the pressure and when, on the other flank, the stand-off saw that fellow South African van der Merwe was in some space, he took full advantage, his miss pass to the left winger giving him just enough time to step inside Dan Goggin’s attempted tackle, then power into the corner for a try that van der Walt converted well.
Dunc Weir then had a chance to wrap things up for his side when they were awarded a penalty five minutes from time and there was enough behind his long-range effort, but it drifted wide of the right post.
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Edinburgh low-scoring game Munster