| Munster: (10) 13 |
| Tries: Carbery Cons: Carbery Pens: Carbery 2 |
| Toulouse: (10) 18 |
| Tries: Label, Tauzin Cons: Ramos Pens: Ramos 2 |
Toulouse began their Heineken Champions Cup marketing campaign with a hard-fought 18-13 win over Munster in troublesome situations at Thomond Park.
Joey Carbery scored all of Munster’s factors – 10 of them within the first half with a transformed attempt to a penalty.
Toulouse responded with a transformed Matthis Lebel attempt to penalty to make it 10-10 on the break.
Lucas Tauzin went over for a second Toulouse attempt whereas a Carbery penalty gave the hosts a dropping bonus level.
Regardless of the freezing temperatures, the Limerick venue was packed for the ninth assembly between these two European heavyweights – and third in as many seasons
The French facet have knocked Munster out of the competitors in every of the previous two years, most lately in a dramatic penalty kick shootout at Aviva Stadium earlier this yr.
The opening exchanges between these rivals resembled an arm-wrestle, as each side sought to get the upper-hand in freezing and foggy situations in Limerick.
The hosts had been the primary to get off the mark, with fly-half Carbery darting over the try-line from brief distance following some affected person build-up within the Toulouse 22. Carbery added the extras to his personal attempt.
Toulouse hit again on the finish of the primary quarter, with full-back Thomas Ramos throwing a wonderful 20-yard go to take advantage of the total width of the pitch, permitting Lebel the area to complete within the nook. Ramos was correct with the boot to deliver the guests degree.
Each side struggled to achieve the ascendancy in a really bodily and abrasive first half though Toulouse seemed to be rising into the sport when it comes to territory and possession because it wore on.
The ebb and move continued with each side buying and selling penalties via Carbery and Ramos to deliver the scores degree going into the break.
Regardless of worsening visibility as the sport progressed, the gang had been in full voice with the match on a knife-edge as the 2 sides got here out for the second half.
The guests shortly broke the impasse following a well-worked transfer from the again of a lineout maul, with Antoine Dupont popping the ball to Tauzin, who crashed over to place his facet forward. The missed conversion left simply 5 factors between the 2 groups and a tense third quarter adopted.
Ramos missed the possibility to place his facet two scores forward as the sport entered the third quarter.
Munster struggled to capitalise on spells of significant possession, turning the ball over on too many events. Nonetheless, the house facet did battle effectively and made life troublesome for Toulouse in defence once in a while.
In the end, a interval of Toulouse possession was rewarded with a penalty. On this event Ramos was profitable from the kicking tee to increase the lead for his facet.
A late penalty from Carberry wouldn’t be sufficient to threaten the end result however gave his facet that dropping bonus level.
Toulouse depart as deserved winners and Munster will now flip their consideration in the direction of preparations for his or her sport away to Northampton subsequent week.
Munster: Haley; Nash, Frisch, Scannell, Daly; Carbery, Casey; Loughman, Scannell, Ryan; Kleyn, Beirne; O’Mahony (capt), Hodnett, Coombes.
Replacements: Barron, Wycherley, Salanoa, O’Donoghue, Kendellen, Patterson, Crowley, Earls.
Toulouse: Ramos; Capuozzo, Delibes, Ahki, Lebel; Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Neti, Marchand, Aldegheri; Arnold, Meafou; Jelonch, Placines, Roumat.
Replacements: Mauvaka, Baille, Faumuina, Flament, Youyoutte, Willis, Relo, Tauzin.
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
