Heineken Cup: Munster through to semi-finals

Stade Francais 14, Munster 16 (full-time)

Munster are again through to the semi-finals of the Heineken European Cup after defeating tournament favourites Stade Francais in Paris.

Munster are now only the second side in the tournament's history to win a quarter-final away from home.

But the Irishmen had to endure a nervous final 10 minutes as Stade used the wind to their advantage in the second-half and came within two points.

Ronan O’Gara opened the scoring with a penalty on five minutes.

Anthony Horgan went over the line to score the opening try on 18 minutes, which O'Gara duly converted to add to his earlier penalty.

The Irish outhalf then added to this tally with a drop-goal on 24 minutes and again just before the break with another penalty.

Diego Dominguez put over Stade's only points of the half on 22 mins which left Munster with a half-time lead of 13 points.

Stade Francais, with the wind at their backs, began to dig into Munster's lead in the second half.

Stade captain Christophe Juillet went over for a Stade try on 46 minutes and Dominguez scored a penalty 10 minutes later to leave Stade within five points of Munster.

At one stage it looked as though Munster had to buckle, but aided by the sin-binning of flanker Pierre Rabadan for a needless punch 18 minutes from time, the visitors managed to hold on and avenge their semi-final defeat to the same opponents last season.