Munster confirmed a home-quarter final in the BKT United Rugby Championship with a thrilling 29-26 bonus-point win away to Edinburgh, with the defending champions edging closer to securing one of the top seeds for the play-offs.
Graham Rowntree's side have leapfrogged Leinster and Glasgow Warriors into first place, ahead of Leinster's trip to Ulster and Glasgow's meeting with the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The province came from 16-5 down midway through the first half to pick up an eighth win in a row in the league, and they now look like the form team in the competition heading into the final round of the regular season in two weeks.
Two first half tries for Antoine Frisch left the province trailing 16-12 at half time, before Jack Crowley and Gavin Coombes also crossed for five-pointers after the break.
Crowley finished the night with 14 points, adding three conversions and the match-winning penalty in a Player of the Match display.
After a spell of Munster pressure in the opening couple of minutes, Edinburgh soon seized the upper hand, with Ben Healy kicking a couple of penalties against his former club in the fifth and 12th minutes to open up a six-point lead for the hosts.
The visitors got up and running in the 18th minute when Frisch kicked over the top and then beat Duhan van der Merwe to the bouncing ball himself before slamming it down over the line. Crowley was off target with his conversion attempt.
Another Healy penalty gave Edinburgh a four-point cushion in the 23rd minute before centre Mark Bennett stretched their lead further when he bundled his way over for a scrappy try after the ball bobbled around in front of Munster’s line, with Healy converting.
Munster reduced their arrears in the 36th minute when Frisch bolted over from close range after the ball was moved swiftly into his path following a scrum, with Crowley converting.
The visitors continued in the ascendancy after the break and got their noses in front for the first time in the 43rd minute when Crowley found a gap and eased his way through after being played in by Rory Scannell. The out-half duly converted his own try, before another Healy penalty brought Edinburgh level.
Munster went ahead once more with their fourth try of the evening when Gavin Coombes pushed over in the 54th minute, with Crowley adding the extras.
Visiting sub Conor Murray was sin-binned for conceding a cynical penalty in front of the posts in the 63rd minute and Edinburgh soon capitalised on the extra-man advantage as Boan Venter was awarded a try after a lengthy TMO check to prove he had grounded the ball over the line. Healy converted to level the match up once more.
But a Crowley penalty in the 70th minute proved decisive in a thrilling encounter, delivering a big blow to Edinburgh's hopes of a spot in the play-offs and Champions Cup qualification.
Additional reporting: PA
Edinburgh: Wes Goosen; Matt Currie, Mark Bennett, James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe; Ben Healy, Ben Vellacott (co-capt); Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, WP Nel;, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist (co-capt); Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Viliame Mata.
Replacements: Dave Cherry, Boan Venter, Javan Sebastian, Marshall Sykes, Luke Crosbie, Ali Price, Cammy Scott, Chris Dean.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Jack O'Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Mark Donnelly, John Ryan, RG Snyman, Tom Ahern, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Brian Gleeson.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
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