Archive February 28, 2025

Rugby World Cup

Munster (7) 28

Cons: Burns 3, Butler, O’Brien, O’Brien, Nankivell, O’Brien, etc.

Edinburgh (29) 34

Edinburgh defeated Munster 34-28 at Musgrave Park thanks to a Matt Currie hat-trick.

With the game played in Cork rather than Thomond Park, Sean Everitt’s side became the first Rugby World Cup (URC) visitors to Munster’s lesser used home ground to win since 2019.

Edinburgh were deserving winners after half-time thanks to a strong scrum, who extended Munster’s lead.

The hosts lost their first game since it was announced that Clayton McMillan would take over next season, and Sean O’Brien scored a late try and Billy Burns converted a conversion that earned him two bonus points.

With the win, Edinburgh moves one place and three points clear of Munster in the standings.

After his team received a scrum penalty, fly-half Ross Thompson converted the first points of the game.

The game’s dominance at the set-piece eventually became a focus, but Munster did manage to hold on for a short while.

Brian Gleeson, who had a strong backpedalling scrum, attacked first, before center Alex Nankivell, who had a strong finish.

However, that was only as good as Munster could get.

After backrowers Magnus Bradbury and Ben Muncaster both showed strong strength, Thompson crossed the whitewash for the side’s first try.

After another impressive scrum, scrum-half Ben Vellacot fired over the top with a penalty before McCarthy misjudged the bounce, allowing Currie to score the try.

Despite Nankivell’s attempts to get underneath the ball, the wing did well to finish the second shortly after.

At the break, Munster turned to Alex Kendellen and Stephen Archer, despite another Edinburgh penalty being scored once more.

After Josh Wycherly sent Thompson down and Nankivell went over for his second try, the hosts were battling to establish their position in the contest.

However, they were unable to halt that try, so Currie collected the loose ball and added to his hat-trick after more hesitant play in the Munster backfield.

Ben O’Connor’s try with 15 minutes left opened Munster’s chase for both losing and four-try bonus points if that score appeared to have made the outcome seem unlikely.

Barron, Donnelly, Archer, Quinn, Kendellen, Patterson, Butler, and O’Brien were the replacements.

Edinburgh: Goosen, M. Currie, Lang, Tuipulotu, McCann, Thompson, Vellacott (c), Venter, Ashman, Hill, Sykes, Skinner, Crosbie, Muncaster, Bradbury, M.

Harrison, Hislop, Rae, Young, Watson, Price, C Scott, Bennett, and others.

Rugby World Cup

Munster (7) 28

Cons: Burns 3, Butler, O’Brien, O’Brien, Nankivell, O’Brien, etc.

Edinburgh (29) 34

Edinburgh defeated Munster 34-28 at Musgrave Park thanks to a Matt Currie hat-trick.

With the game played in Cork rather than Thomond Park, Sean Everitt’s side became the first Rugby World Cup (URC) visitors to Munster’s lesser used home ground to win since 2019.

Edinburgh were deserving winners after half-time thanks to a strong scrum, who extended Munster’s lead.

The hosts lost their first game since it was announced that Clayton McMillan would take over next season, and Sean O’Brien scored a late try and Billy Burns converted a conversion that earned him two bonus points.

With the win, Edinburgh moves one place and three points clear of Munster in the standings.

After his team received a scrum penalty, fly-half Ross Thompson converted the first points of the game.

The game’s dominance at the set-piece eventually became a focus, but Munster did manage to hold on for a short while.

Brian Gleeson, who had a strong backpedalling scrum, attacked first, before center Alex Nankivell, who had a strong finish.

However, that was only as good as Munster could get.

After backrowers Magnus Bradbury and Ben Muncaster both showed strong strength, Thompson crossed the whitewash for the side’s first try.

After another impressive scrum, scrum-half Ben Vellacot fired over the top with a penalty before McCarthy misjudged the bounce, allowing Currie to score the try.

Despite Nankivell’s attempts to get underneath the ball, the wing did well to finish the second shortly after.

At the break, Munster turned to Alex Kendellen and Stephen Archer, despite another Edinburgh penalty being scored once more.

After Josh Wycherly sent Thompson down and Nankivell went over for his second try, the hosts were battling to establish their position in the contest.

However, they were unable to halt that try, so Currie collected the loose ball and added to his hat-trick after more hesitant play in the Munster backfield.

Ben O’Connor’s try with 15 minutes left opened Munster’s chase for both losing and four-try bonus points if that score appeared to have made the outcome seem unlikely.

Barron, Donnelly, Archer, Quinn, Kendellen, Patterson, Butler, and O’Brien were the replacements.

Edinburgh: Goosen, M. Currie, Lang, Tuipulotu, McCann, Thompson, Vellacott (c), Venter, Ashman, Hill, Sykes, Skinner, Crosbie, Muncaster, Bradbury, M.

Harrison, Hislop, Rae, Young, Watson, Price, C Scott, Bennett, and others.

Rugby World Cup

Zebre (14) 31

Trys: Prisciantelli, Paea Cons: Da Re 4 Pens: Prisciantelli, Stavile, Stavile, Paea Cons:

Dragons (21) 21

Zebre climbed five places to 10th in the Rugby World Cup table with a bonus-point win against bottom side Dragons in Parma.

As the Dragons led 21-7 just before half-time, Brodie Coghlan, the team’s hooker, crossed for two tries before center Joe Westwood scored from center Huw Anderson.

At the end of the first half, Giovanni Licata, the hosts’ number eight, scored a fine try, and flanker Bautista Stavile, the hosts’ opener, gave off a strong start to the Zebre revival.

Zebre full-back Geronimo Prisciantelli scored a third try early in the second half from lock Rusiate Nasove, who then threw a penalty over center Fetuli Paea for the bonus-point lead.

Despite having substitute scrum-half Alessandro Fusco shown a 71st-minute yellow card for a professional foul, the hosts capitalized on the strength of their bench in the second half and held on to win.

Dragons left Italy without any points thanks to Prisciantelli’s late penalty. For the first time in seven years, the revitalized Italian team won the league for the third time.

In contrast, Dragons, who are still rooted at the bottom of the URC table and 15 points adrift, have lost 11 games in a row.

Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Luca Rizzoli, Juan Pitinari, Matteo Canali, Alessandro Fusco, Giovanni Montemauri, Jacopo Trulla, and others.

Sin-bin: Fusco 71

Huw Anderson, Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Aneurin Owen (capt), Ashton Hewitt, Will Reed, Dane Blacker, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Brodie Coghlan, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, George Nott, Ryan Woodman, Taine Basham, Shane Lewis-Hughes, and others.

James Benjamin, Owain James, Paula Latu, Steve Cummins, Barny Langton-Cryer, Che Hope, Harri Ford, and Scott Williams are the replacements.

Eoghan Cross (IRFU) as the referee

Lorenzo Negro (FIR) and Filipo Russo & Lorenzo Russo (FIR) as assistant referees.