Pro14: Edinburgh 10-22 Munster: Conference B leaders win at Murrayfield

Jack O'Donoghue celebrates scoringInpho

Jack O'Donoghue spun to score Munster's first try from close range

Pro14

Edinburgh (3) 10

Tries: Mata; Pens: Van der Walt; Cons: Van der Walt

Munster (17) 22

Tries: O'Donoghue, Casey, Coombes; Pens: Hanrahan; Cons: Hanrahan 2

Munster powered past Edinburgh at Murrayfield and sit nine points clear at the top of Pro14 Conference B.

The province led 17-3 at half-time following close-range tries from Jack O'Donoghue and Craig Casey.

Bill Mata hauled Edinburgh back into the game, touching down early in the second half.

But Munster restored their lead when Gavin Coombes scored his seventh league try of the season, ultimately keeping Edinburgh fifth in the table.

Richard Cockerill's men spent long spells in the away 22, but could not convert their attacking phase play into more tries.

With the clock red, Edinburgh lock Andrew Davidson was carried from the field on the stretcher after suffering a head injury.

Play raged for eight minutes beyond the 80 as both sides tried to secure a bonus point - Edinburgh's for finishing within seven points of their conquerors; Munster for scoring a fourth try - but their efforts were in vain.

Connacht reduced the deficit at the conference summit with a bonus-point victory over Cardiff Blues, but Munster's lead remains commanding.

O'Donoghue spun cleverly through Dave Cherry's tackle to ground the ball in the 29th minute, after Jaco van der Walt and JJ Hanrahan had traded penalties.

The latter duly converted, and did so again when Casey dummied and sniped to the whitewash from a similarly dynamic series of ball-carries.

Mata, Edinburgh's most influential player, scored his first try in 23 matches five minutes into the second half, driving home after good pressure from the hosts.

But the prolific Coombes made it a two-score game once again when he blasted home. All four of the tries were scored from within five metres of the line.

Despite being bested in the set-piece, Edinburgh repeatedly opted to scrummage in the shadow of the Munster posts late on, milking a couple of penalties but ultimately conceding a free-kick that allowed their opponents to escape.

In the end, although the visitors could not bag a fourth try and a bonus point of their own, they were more powerful, more streetwise, and far more ruthless when it counted, and this was a deserved triumph.

It also capped a special evening for captain Billy Holland, who made his 240th Munster outing, moving joint-second with the great Ronan O'Gara on the side's all-time appearance list.

Line-ups

Edinburgh: Hoyland; Blain, Bennett, Dean, Sau; Van der Walt, Pyrgos; Schoeman, Cherry, Atalifo, Davidson, Gilchrist, Haining, Crosbie, Mata.

Replacements: Willemse, Venter, McCallum, Bradbury, Miller, Shiel, Chamberlain, Currie.

Munster: Haley; Conway, C Farrell, De Allende, Daly; Hanrahan, Casey; Cronin, N Scannell, Ryan, Kleyn, Holland, O'Donoghue, Cloete, Coombes.

Replacements: O'Byrne, Loughman, Archer, Wycherley, O'Sullivan, McCarthy, Healy, R Scannell.

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

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