Munster weather the storm but frustration lingers

The ride into Exeter was not for the faint of heart, Munster’s charter flight buffeted violently in gale force winds. The landing was pretty white-knuckled too, not helped by the knowledge that five earlier flights had been diverted at that stage. It all made for a strong test of the constitution which would serve Johann van Graan’s men well on Saturday at Sandy Park, writes Donal Lenihan.

A last gasp stand, when forced to defend a punishing 22-phase Exeter onslaught on their line after Joey Carbery’s well intentioned clearance kick carried 80 metres and went out on the full, was every bit as challenging as the gusts Storm Callum threw at the squad en route.

That Exeter attack looked as if it might deny the visitors the draw their Herculean efforts throughout the previous 79 minutes clearly deserved. If anything Munster know they had the capacity to win this one against the odds but, in the circumstances, finishing on level terms was a notable achievement.