Edinburgh slipped to a close defeat against Munster in their second Magners League match of the season at Murrayfield on Friday night. A Tim Visser try early in the second half had the capital side 10-6 up but Donncha O'Callaghan crossed for Munster to re-establish a lead which they never surrendered.
Rob Moffat's side must now pick themselves up for the trip to Ravenhill to face Ulster next Friday night.
Forward play held sway in the initial exchanges, Edinburgh winning an early penalty for a Munster infringement at the breakdown.
We then had the first sight of Netani Talei on the charge, the big Fijian reprising his fine efforts at Cardiff last weekend with a charge into Munster territory that was the centrepiece of a flowing Edinburgh move, the momentum only faltering when referee James Jones spied a misdemeanour at the ruck.
It was Munster's turn to attack next, their dynamic back row making yards and winning a penalty. Paul Warwick stepped up to claim the first points of the match, minutes before missing unluckily with an effort from dead-on halfway.
The Edinburgh defence had to sustain a period of concerted Munster possession and threat. With the Irishmen regularly varying the angle of attack, the home side were required to be extremely vigilant, and it was to their credit that they conceded no further points.
A change in personnel was forced upon Rob Moffat when Esteban Lozada, making his competitive debut had to leave the field through injury and was replaced by Fraser McKenzie, after a lengthy delay to proceedings.
The Argentine lock received extensive on-field treatment after receiving a blow to the head/neck, and had regained consciousness by the time he was taken to the city's Royal Infirmary for precautionary assessment.
Just minutes after play restarted a penalty was successfully taken by Warwick to put the visitors six points ahead. At the other end, Talei made a further surge, but the move again fell away via the concession of a penalty. Paterson, who scored all Edinburgh's points in the corresponding fixture last October, got the hosts on the board just before the interval with a penalty from just short of halfway, the ball going over via the upright.
HALF-TIME EDINBURGH 3 MUNSTER 6
In a stunning start to the second period, Edinburgh stormed into the lead with a startling score from that man Visser. The wing, who scored more tries than any other player in the Magners League last season and began the current one with a brace in Cardiff, rose to pocket a fine cross-kick from the lively Phil Godman and race to the line, leaving a host of Munster bodies trailing in his wake.
The score will have been particularly welcomed by the Dutch film crew who travelled to Murrayfield especially for the occasion. Once the celebrations died down, Paterson knocked over the conversion.
Safe in the knowledge they were involved in a battle, Munster summoned the heavy artillery, Ronan O'Gara and O'Callaghan introduced from the replacements bench.
The latter ploughed over from close range shortly after being sent on, Talei having heroically prevented Ian Dowling from crossing in the previous phase of play with an adroit last-ditch tackle. O'Gara's straightforward conversion gave Munster a 13-10 advantage.
Once more Edinburgh hit back with impressive haste. Side entry by flanker Alan Quinlan at a ruck gave Paterson the opportunity to bring the scores level, and needless to say the former Gala player took it.
An ever-tight affair had a few twists and turns to take. Munster nudged themselves back in front through a further O'Gara penalty, awarded for offside. Edinburgh strove to force the issue, the ball-carrying options in the back row maintained by Stuart McInally, who emerged from the sidelines to make his debut as a replacement for Talei.
Into the last five minutes and Munster were pushing for the line, hovering around the 22, looking to find the gap but Edinburgh were swift to repel, working the ball upfield as the clock ticked out. Munster then took their chance to kick the ball out, referee Jones' whistle signalling the end to an ultimately frustrating evening for the black and red army.
Edinburgh: C Paterson (captain); M Robertson, B Cairns, A Grove, T Visser; P Godman, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, E Lozada, S MacLeod, S Newlands, N Talei, R Rennie
Replacements: A Kelly, K Traynor, J Gilding, F McKenzie, S McInally, G Laidlaw, D Blair, J Houston
Munster: F Jones; D Howlett, J Murphy, S Tuitupou, I Dowling; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley, D Ryan, M O’Driscoll, A Quinlan, D Leamy (captain), N Ronan
Replacements: D Fogarty, M Horan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Mahony, T O'Leary, R O'Gara, D Barnes
BBC ALBA Man of the Match: Ross Rennie
Ref: J Jones (WRU)
Att: 3,419
