Munster 22 Racing 92 10
Rassie Erasmus knew beforehand that Munster needed to win by 11 points or score four tries to secure a home quarter final.
The way results have fallen, it looks like Glasgow will be making a third visit to Thomond Park in April.
If they progress to the Champions Cup semi-final they would play at the Aviva stadium.
"It would be amazing if we play them five times in one season," said Erasmus. "it would be a first for me in any coaching capacity, it would be something special. Something to look forward to."
Thomond Park has not seen knockout European rugby since Toulouse were thumped 47-24 in 2014. That being the first post Ronan O’Gara campaign.
Mostly downhill since, until now.
The people are back, all of them, and a new team has risen to greet them with this epic European romance rekindled.
Extra seats were laid on so more of the faithful could welcome one of the few who made all this possible. And with O'Gara came an expectation that the visiting team, who he now drills in defence, would wilt.
On 48 minutes the Racing 92 spirit seemed broken by Ronan O’Mahony’s try. But they stayed in the contest, perhaps encouraged by Munster going off the boil, before Peter O'Mahony got his soldiers in line to do more than enough to earn a home quarter-final.
It was a genuine if flawed battle.
At least the officiating didn't impact on the result. The poor judgement of Marius Mitrea was evident in Llanelli a few weeks ago.
That sin binning of Sean Reidy and penalty try for Scarlets leave Ulster’s chances of making the Pro 12 play-off in serious difficulty.
The Italian whistler, with vague support from fellow countryman Alan Falzone, went against the neutral consensus – Will Greenwood and Scott Quinnell on Sky Sports – by deciding Conor Murray’s quarterback sneak was not a try but a five metre Racing scrum.
It mattered little that Murray did not knock the ball on.
This was Munster’s first response to an opening 20 minute assault by the Top 14 champions. Racing came to play. The sheer bulk of Ben Tameifuna, Leone Nakarawa, Matthieu Voisin and humongous number eight So'otala Fa'aso'o meant Murray and other relieving kickers struggled for an angle to find a way out of Munster territory.
When they eventually did, Peter O’Mahony showed no interest in the constant three points on offer from breakdown indiscretions.
The Parisians may have arrived with new props – French loosehead Eddy Ben Arous and the monstrous Tameifuna – but O’Mahony showed unwavering belief in the Munster eight. Scrum after scrum went upwards, without convincing Mitrea to run under the posts, before a flood of one out carries, lasting 12 minutes of playing time, finally saw Simon Zebo twist over for the try.
It was an essential seven points as Racing outhalf Benjamin Dambielle sat in the sin bin.
The scoreboard should have read 7-6 at the turn but Racing captain Maxime Machenaud missed one before splitting the uprights in the 41st minute.
As we entered the second half, and subzero temperatures, Tyler Bleyendaal punished Nakarawa for a high tackle – mainly because of the two players height difference – to make it 10-3.
Daylight, at last.
All the unsung Munster men began to stand up. Rory Scannell’s increasingly dependable reputation as a quality inside centre was in constant evidence, be it prodding ball out of play in the Racing 22 or the pass that allowed the impressive Ronan O’Mahony slide over.
Bleyendaal converted from the touchline to make it 17-3 and with no need for a bonus point the Munster mindset understandably lost focus.
Racing have a domestic season to salvage so they made them pay on the hour mark with Henry Chavancy’s try converted by Machenaud.
There was no certainty of victory without momentum behind them so, as Racing sent on All Blacks Chris Masoe then Ali Williams, Munster responded with massive breakdown plays by O’Mahony and Rhys Marshall.
Scannell also gets credit for the killer score. His pass may have bounced into Andrew Conway's hand but the winger's carry and offload before Brice Dulin could drive him into touch allowed Ian Keatley to fall over the line.
That allowed Rassie Erasmus the scope to remove Murray, Zebo was already gone, with both men immediately wrapped in cotton wool and shipped to Carton House.
Oh yeah, hardly news, but CJ Stander was named man of the match for another relentless display either side of the ball.
The only significant casualty is a broken finger sustained by James Cronin.
Munster: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Ronan O'Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; James Cronin, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Donnacha Ryan; Peter O'Mahony, Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander. Replacements: D Kilcoyne for J Cronin (12 mins), F Saili for J Taute (47 mins), B Holland for J Kleyn (51 mins), R Marshall for N Scannell (58 mins), T du Toit for J Ryan (67 mins), I Keatley for S Zebo (69 mins), D Williams for C Murray (70 mins).
Racing 92: Brice Dulin; Teddy Thomas, Henry Chavancy, Etienne Dussartre, Marc Andreu; Benjamin Dambielle, Maxime Machenaud; Eddy Ben Arous, Camille Chat, Ben Tameifuna; Manuel Carizza, Leone Nakarawa; Yannick Nyanga, Matthieu Voisin, So'otala Fa'aso'o. Replacements: C Gomes Sa for B Tameifuna (30 mins), Julien Brugnaut for E Ben Arous
(54 mins), F Pourteau for B Dambielle, A Vulivuli for E Dussartre (both 63 mins), C Masoe for Y Nyanga (64 mins), A Williams for L Nakarawa (65 mins), J Hart for M Machenaud (74 mins), B Tameifuna for C Gomes sa (76 mins).
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
