Saturday 30 November 2019 13:54, UK
Edinburgh end Munster's impressive home run while Ulster prove too strong for Scarlets.
Eroni Sau's 62nd-minute try saw Edinburgh win a close Guinness PRO14 contest 18-16 at Irish Independent Park, as Munster fell to their first home defeat in just under two years.
There was nothing to separate the teams at the end of an entertaining first half, with Matt Scott crossing after barely a minute and Tommy O'Donnell's effort levelling it at 10 points apiece.
On his first PRO14 start, Ben Healy kicked 11 points for a youthful Munster side, including two second-half penalties, but Blair Kinghorn's cross-field kick set up Sau's crucial touchdown and Edinburgh stood firm to secure a well-merited victory in Cork.
Lineout errors thwarted both sides' progress until Van Der Walt made it a double-figures lead with a well-struck 20th-minute penalty from 40 metres out. Twenty-year-old prospect Healy hit back a few minutes later, landing his first points for Munster.
The Irish province had been led out by prop Stephen Archer on the occasion of his 200th cap, and they enjoyed a purple patch close to the interval. Flanker O'Donnell burrowed over at the end of 23 phases, allowing Healy to kick them level.
A terrific Healy strike from distance handed Munster the lead for the first time early in the second half and he then punished a high tackle with his third successful penalty to make it 16-10.
However, replacement Simon Hickey was quick to respond from the tee for the Scots and, following some resolute defence, Edinburgh got back on the attack for Kinghorn to skilfully kick out wide and connect with Fijian Sau, edging his side back in front.
Although Hickey missed the difficult conversion, Munster - who were unbeaten at home since their December 2017 loss to Leinster - were left frustrated by their own errors and Edinburgh's well-organised defence. The Scottish capital club are now just two points behind Munster at the top of Conference B.
Ulster ran in five tries to claim a bonus-point 29-5 home victory over the Scarlets in the Guinness PRO14.
Centre Matt Faddes scored two tries while John Cooney, Matty Rea and Robert Baloucoune also crossed at the Kingspan Stadium.
Cooney kicked two conversions in a game which only saw two scores in the second half after Ulster had led 24-0 at the interval.
Jac Morgan claimed the Scarlets' only try late in the game in what was just their second league defeat of the campaign.
The Irish province made a rapid start and had two tries in eight minutes.
First it was Faddes who touched down following Stuart McCloskey's kick through and then Cooney drove over from close range after Baloucoune was held up short.
Cooney uncharacteristically missed the first conversion from a fairly straightforward angle but then landed the second from the touchline to put Ulster 12-0 ahead.
The scoreline then advanced to 19-0 after 17 minutes. This time, Rea was driven over from a maul and Cooney again converted.
The bonus-point try came three minutes before the half hour when Baloucoune got over in the right corner, but Cooney missed the extras.
Scarlets were then reduced to 14 men with a yellow card shown to flanker Uzair Cassiem, but Ulster failed to score anything at all during the sin-binning.
The second half brought some sense of revival from the Scarlets but that did not immediately translate into movement on the scoreboard.
With 10 minutes to go, Craig Gilroy was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Ryan Conbeer and then the Scarlets had a clear scoring chance only for Corey Baldwin to knock-on.
They did finally get on the board with a 74th-minute try from replacement Morgan, which went unconverted by Ryan Lamb.
But Ulster had the final say, with Faddes crossing for his second with two minutes left, although Angus Curtis missing the extras.
