Overcoming a second half onslaught from Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium, Munster recorded another impressive away win, doing so in dramatic fashion with a 76th minute drop goal from out-half Ian Keatley.
Bursting out of the blocks, the Munstermen were 10-0 ahead after as many minutes thanks to an Andrew Conway try and the boot of Ian Keatley. But Rassie Erasmus will not have been happy with his side’s ill-discipline that presented Peter Horne with early penalty opportunities and ultimately reduced Munster to 14 men on 26 minutes.
What will have pleased Munster’s director of rugby, however, was the province’s resolve during those ten minutes, keeping the hosts scoreless with a defence that remained impenetrable all half.
The same could not be said on 61 minutes when Ali Price cut Munster open for Glasgow’s first try and worse was to come minutes later when a loose kick ahead ended up in Mark Bennett putting the hosts ahead and on course, it seemed, for a return to winning ways in Scotstoun.
In fact, Munster scored just once during the entire second half, but what a pivotal score it proved to be. With that never-say-die attitude of the province to the fore, Keatley stood up and kicked his side to victory four minutes from time.
An excellent opening from Munster with accurate passing, neat offloads and excellent lines of running saw them mount all the early pressure on the Scots. That pressure told initially by the Warriors going offside in defence and Keatley getting Munster off the mark with a penalty goal.
With Glasgow struggling to get up to speed with their visitors, Munster took advantage, this time using their strong maul to get inside the 22. Playing with a penalty advantage, Keatley opted for the cross-field kick to the right wing and Darren Sweetnam did exceptionally well to knock the ball down in the direction of full-back Conway who crossed for his third try in two games with Keatley adding the extras.
Two subsequent penalties in as many minutes gave Horne the chance to eliminate most of the early deficit but the play-maker could only add the latter, making it a 10-3 game. However, with the penalty count on the increase, Munster also earned their first yellow card of the current campaign when prop Dave Kilcoyne took out a lifter at a lineout.
With the man advantage, Glasgow looked to make Munster pay via the lineout maul, but Billy Holland soon neutralised that threat by legally coming through the middle and forcing the turnover. As expected on the fast 4G surface, the match continued at a frenetic pace and Munster’s work-rate and support lines saw them win most of the contestable aerial battles of the opening 40 minutes.
Keatley pulled a penalty effort across the posts but he made amends in the 36th minute with an excellent long range effort that restored Munster’s 10-point advantage which they kept a hold of despite a late scare from a sublime Bennett break.
It was all Warriors on the restart with Gregor Townsend’s men throwing everything they had at a Munster defence that held firm and won more than its fair share of turnovers.
That was until the hour mark when the province should have done far better. Breaking off a Warrriors lineout, scrum half Price had Munster at sixes and sevens as he danced over the line with Rory Clegg’s conversion cutting the gap to three points with a quarter left to play.
With their tails up, the hosts struck again on 69 minutes. Claiming a Munster kick in their own half, the Warriors’ quick hands from left to right and a wonderful offload from Tommy Seymour released Bennett down the right wing and, unlike his opening half effort, the centre would not be denied on this occasion.
But Clegg’s missed conversion left Munster trailing by just two points and smelling blood. Off they went in search of a penalty or drop goal and the latter is what transpired.
As he has done in memorable games against Sale Sharks and Ulster in recent seasons, cometh the hour, cometh the man. Keatley, who, after patient phase play from his team-mates, showed a cool head to slot the vital drop goal and seal the sweetest of wins for Munster.
Fittingly, on his 100th PRO12 appearance, flanker Tommy O’Donnell was the one to kick the ball dead as Munster showed that clinical edge when it mattered most and recorded their first victory in Scotstoun in three years.
The result keeps the province top of the PRO12 standings with Te Aihe Toma making his competitive debut as a second half replacement. From the Academy ranks, Dan Goggin made his fifth appearance in the Championship.
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