Munster bid for third final ends

Toulouse 13, Munster 12

Munster’s bid to reach their third Heineken Cup final in four seasons ended amid agonising scenes today as French giants Toulouse denied them a famous victory.

Scrum-half Frederic Michalak’s 74th-minute try, converted from wide out by substitute Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, destroyed the Munster dream as Toulouse triumphed 13-12.

Munster fly-half Ronan O’Gara dropped two goals and kicked two penalties, and Toulouse trailed throughout until Michalak pounced – their only previous scores arriving through penalties by Elissalde and Yann Delaigue.

Toulouse, the 1996 European champions, now march on to a May 24 final in Dublin against either Leinster or Perpignan, who meet at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

Elissalde’s nerveless kick stunned Munster and their supporters, leaving Williams and company less than a handful of minutes to respond.

But it was not to be – despite almost 10 minutes’ injury time and two O’Gara drop-goal attempts from long range – and Munster bowed out, pipped by the narrowest of margins after a truly gripping encounter.