Munster 13 Toulouse 18
Munster gave it the good fight and how, throwing some of their best shots at the supreme European aristocrats, but this was a deeply resilient and impressive performance by a classy Toulouse outfit.
The visitors gave Munster nothing easy - not a scrum, lineout or ruck - and recovered from an early home seven pointer and the ardour of the Thomond Park crowd to strike stealthily.
For all of Munster’s strong start and despite, for example, Joey Carbery performing better than Romain Ntamack, the individual brilliance of Antoine Dupont and the in-form Thomas Ramos steered the game towards Toulouse.
As the fog drifted ever more heavily onto the pitch in sub-zero temperatures, ultimately it was the unrelenting Toulouse defence which forced the two second-half turnovers and led to their two decisive scores.
In truth, their high quality backs also played with more depth and width than Munster and conjured a wonderful strike try which was beyond the home side’s remit. Munster did secure a bonus point, although a win away to Northampton next Sunday now looks vital.
Munster started excellently, although as the first half evolved, it became clear than they would have to be in order to subdue this crack Toulouse team.
[ Munster 13 Toulouse 18 (Ft) - as it happenedOpens in new window ]
Toulouse targeted the Munster set-pieces and breakdown, but Niall Scannell’s darts to Peter O’Mahony, Tadhg Beirne and Gavin Coombes were all on the money. Toulouse sought a reprise of the scrum dominance which had been a huge issue in the epic quarter-final at the Aviva last May, going after Munster’s put-in and always keeping the ball at the base of their own put-in in search of penalties. But or the most part, with the improving Jeremy Loughman and the returning John Ryan starting as opposed to being on the bench, the Munster pack was rock solid.
The five-time winners had plenty of threats over the ball too, and went after plenty of poaches, but Munster’s technique and alertness ensured a steady flow of ruck ball to initially keep Toulouse penned into defensive mode.
Joey Carbery might have given them an early reward only for his 30 metre penalty surprisingly hit the upright, but he soon atoned with interest. First he arrowed a penalty from 45 metres out to within five of the Toulouse line.
From Coombes’ excellent one-handed take, Shane Daly was Craig Casey’s launch pad off the maul, Niall Scannell and Coombes also carrying hard before Casey went back blind for Carbery to take Richie Arnold’s tackle and tag on the conversion.
When Jean Kleyn knocked on a hard, flat pass from Rory Scannell in the 16th minute it was Munster’s first mistake of the half. When Beirne’s tip-on to Loughman was adjudged forward it also led to Toulouse earning their one scrum penalty of the half when Loughman went to ground.
With a penalty advantage off the lineout maul, the Toulouse backs conjured a lovely try, Pita Ahki pulling the ball back for Romain Ntamack to Ange Capuozzo off his wing and link with Thomas Ramos, whose long pass was finished brilliantly in the corner by Matthis Lebel.
Ramos nailed the touchline conversion and landed a penalty against Kleyn for Holding on when Niall Scannell and Ryan couldn’t effect the clear-out.
But when Placines was pinged for not rolling away, albeit trapped by Beirne, Carbery’s penalty made it 10-all at the break.
The fervour generated by the playing of The Cranberries’ Zombie and the return of the teams was swiftly diluted when Toulouse’s fast line speed forced a loose pass from Carbery and Ramos’ kick along the touchline earned an attacking lineout - Antoine Frisch knocking the ball out of play close to his own line.
Julien Marchand peeled blind to draw in two tackles and offloaded to Dupont, who popped a no-look ball into the air for half-time replacement Lucas Tauzin to steam onto the ball and score in the corner.
As the icy fog thickened over the pitch, making the far side virtually invisible, the home crowd were brought back to life when Placines took out an airborne Haley by carelessly continuing his run underneath and was perhaps shoved by Lebel. Even so, it was remarkable that the officials only deemed it worthy of a penalty and not a yellow card. To compound the crowd’s disappointment, Munster twice went to the corner - turning down a kickable three points - and were twice repelled.
Their fury was intensified by more of Christophe Ridley’s decisions going against them, although Ramos missed a penalty to make it a two score game entering the final quarter.
Munster built up a head of steam through the phases, Jack Crowley now dovetailing with Carbery, but a trailing boot led to a ruck turnover, Ramos again kicked up field and when Jack O’Donoghue countered, Munster players were harshly pinged for going off their feet in clearing out Anthony Jelonch. Ramos made it a two-score game.
However, Munster weren’t quite done yet, hammering away at the impenetrable white wall before Peato Mauvaka took out Paddy Patterson and, finally, Ridley pinged a Toulouse player for doing so.
Carbery’s penalty secured a bonus point, but despite Dupont’s yellow for a one-handed knockdown, at the behest of the TMO, Toulouse’s defence kept Munster comfortably at arm’s length. Their celebrations both on the pitch and sidelines reflected their understandable satisfaction. A job well done in inhospitable circumstances by this supreme European force.
Scoring sequence: 10 mins Carbery try and con 7-0; 23 mins Lebel try, Ramos con 7-7; 30 mins Ramos pen 7-10; 39 mins Carbery pen 10-10; (half-time 10-10); 42 mins Tauzin try 10-15; 73 mins Ramos pen 10-18; 75 mins Carbery pen 13-18.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Jack O’Donoghue for Kleyn, Paddy Patterson for Casey, Jack Crowley for R Scannell (all 52 mins), Diarmuid Barron for N Scannell, Josh Wycherley for Loughman, Roman Salanoa for Ryan (all 58 mins), Alex Kendellen for John Hodnett (62 mins), Keith Earls for Daly (69 mins).
Stade Toulousain: Thomas Ramos; Ange Capuozzo, Dimitri Delibes, Pita Ahki, Matthis Lebel; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Rodrigue Neti, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri; Richie Arnold, Emmanuel Meafou; Anthony Jelonch, Alban Placines, Alexandre Roumat.
Replacements: Thibaud Flament for Roumat (14 mins), Lucas Tauzin for Capuozzo (half-time), Jack Willis for Placines (50 mins), Peato Mauvaka for Marchand, Cyril Baille for Neti (both 55 mins), Charlie Faumuina for Aldegheri (58 mins), Yannick Youyoutte for Arnold (73 mins),
Not used: Martin Page Relo.
Sinbinned: Dupont (77 mins).
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
