Munster fell to their first home defeat in two years after Edinburgh's Eroni Sau scored what proved to be a crucial try in their Guinness PRO14 clash.
Johann Van Graan's youthful side can take plenty of positives including 11 points from debutant Ben Healy but will be frustrated by the manner of the loss having battled back from a slow start. A Tommy O'Donnell try and the boot of Healy had them in the lead early in the second half before Sau struck just after the hour mark.
However, there was a bizarre scene that had captain Jack O'Donoghue hugely frustrated in the build-up to Munster's first-half try. While defending the line, Edinburgh lifted the goalpost protective padding in a bid to stop a try.
Per World Rugby laws, A try is scored "when an attacking player is first to ground the ball in the opponents’ in-goal, against the opponents’ goal post or its surrounding padding."
Referee Marius Mitrea did seem to indicate during the play for Edinburgh to put the padding down while Jack O'Donoghue later flagged it and said: "that is unsporting."
"I will have a word about that," the referee responded.
TRY:
35 mins:
MUNSTER 10-10 Edinburgh.
23 phases of play, and Tommy O"Donnell finally gets over the line for Munster's first try of the evening at Irish Independent Park.
Ben Healy kicks the conversion.#MUNvEDI #GuinnessPRO14 pic.twitter.com/HIlWU2D47M
— eir Sport (@eirSport) November 29, 2019
Pierre Schoeman's antics could have been deemed dangerous given padding is an essential measure in a physical sport like rugby but it went unpunished.
The tie finished 18-16 and Munster now prepare for Saracens in the Champions Cup.
"Look, it is a disappointing result. We never want to lose at home but the team dug deep right until the end. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. We will regroup," said Jack O'Donoghue post-match. "We are building for back-to-back Europe now."
