Magnificent Munster produce 27-point turnaround to stun Clermont in France
Munster's Kevin O'Byrne celebrates after scoring a try with team-mate Liam O'Connor at Stade Marcel-Michelin. Photo by Julien Poupart/Sportsfile
Munster were celebrating a famous European comeback win in France on Saturday night with Johann van Graan insisting he believed his team would win at Stade Marcel Michelin even as they trailed Clermont 28-9 after a disastrous first quarter.
French heavyweights Clermont have turned their home stadium into a Champions Cup fortress over the years and Munster had settled for a losing bonus point in their previous three visits. There was certainly an ominous feel to this latest trip to southern France as Clermont opened the scoring with a try after just 26 seconds, Munster lost wing Shane Daly to a yellow card as they conceded a penalty try, and the French side racked up their bonus-point try after 24 minutes to open a 28-9 lead.
Yet Munster showed their resilience, an excellent try from full-back Mike Haley in the first half plus three penalties and a conversion from JJ Hanrahan leaving them with a 28-16 half-time deficit.
The second half was all Munster as the forwards, with academy prop Josh Wycherley making his first European start, dominated the set-piece, while Hanrahan added three more penalties before the hour mark.
A Camille Lopez penalty on the hour was Clermont’s first points in more than half an hour and opened up a 31-25 lead but late tries from CJ Stander and replacement hooker Kevin O’Byrne, both converted by Hanrahan on a perfect night from the kicking tee sealed a famous first victory at Stade Marcel Michelin as the home side’s discipline deserted them, losing two men to the sin bin in the second half.
The victory stretched Munster’s 100 per cent start to the season to nine games and gives them a great shot at qualifying for the European quarter-finals with two games to go but it could easily have been a different story after 24 minutes.
Van Graan begged to differ though. Asked what the best he was hoping for as his side trailed by 19 points, the Munster head coach said: "Definitely a win, we came here to win. We didn't come to get a bonus point.
"The message at half-time was if we believe in our plan and stick to our process we'll win this game.
"And I asked the 23 guys to stick to what we do. We spoke a lot about this fixture during the week and all credit to the players, they believed to the final seconds of the game."
Munster’s great start to 2020-21 and the groundwork laid by incoming assistant coaches Stephen Larkham and Graham Rowntree over lockdown were contributory factors to van Graan’s belief in a successful outcome in Clermont.
"What we've done over the last six or seven months, all the work we put in over lockdown. All the fitness we've done, the small tweaks to our plan.
"When you look at the tries they scored, we gave them some easy tries. The first one off the kick-off, then the yellow card which resulted in a penalty try... we left quite a few opportunities out there in the first-half.
"We knew if we kept running we would get linebreaks and that try for Mikey (Haley) was a good example.
"A lot of belief and, look, an excellent win from our side."
Van Graan also paid tribute to 21-year-old loosehead prop Josh Wycherley, who after a difficult start won scrum penalties against renowned French tighthead Rabah Slimani and another later on against his replacement Sipili Falatea.
"That's the stuff that dreams are made of. To start your first European game in Clermont against (Rabah) Slimani, one of the best scrummagers in the world and to come up with that performance is exceptional.
"It's a whole squad effort, but when I phoned Josh on Thursday evening and said: 'You are starting, are you ready', he said: ‘Coach, I'm ready to go’.
"I've said it a few times over the last few months, it's about backing our squad and that's what we did."
Mike Haley’s try on 28 minutes was not only brilliantly executed but it started the remarkable turnaround after a nightmare start in the Auvergne that saw them concede a try after just 26 seconds.
Clermont had their try bonus point after 24 minutes but would not score another point for 36 minutes as Munster rallied through the boot of JJ Hanrahan, Haley's try, and second-half scores from CJ Stander and Kevin O’Byrne.
It was the replacement hooker’s 77th minute try that finally pushed Munster ahead but it was the crowning moment of a comeback that saw them boss the second half against the odds.
Another historic European night for Munster as they claw back a 28-9 deficit to win for the first time at Fortress Marcel Michelin, a stunning statement of intent for Johann van Graan’s evolving side.
There have been more than a few special moments in the Heineken Champions Cup including two trophy lifts but not even the greats of 2006 and 2008 managed this.
CJ Stander grabbed the second-half try that gave Munster belief there was an upset on the cards but the No.8 was immense throughout this contest, strong in the carry, robust in defence, and totally in command as he and his fellow forwards overcame a shaky start for the team to outgun their illustrious counterparts.
Matthew Carley had plenty to do in the first half as he sin-binned Munster’s Shane Daly on six minutes but he also earned kudos for chastising Damien Penaud when Daly’s opposite wing waved his hand aloft demanding the yellow card. There was a double whammy for the visitors though, as the English ref rightly awarded Clermont a penalty try.
Carley also rewarded Munster for a dominant second-half performance at the set-piece that saw two Clermont players sin-binned as the home side lost their discipline.
Clermont 17 Munster 10.
No apparent injuries for Munster despite the bruising nature of this encounter. The medical update issued early next week may be more revealing.
It’s back to the Guinness Pro14 as Munster, still unbeaten in nine games this season welcome their arch-rivals Leinster to Thomond Park on St Stephen’s night, when one of their 100 per cent records will have to give.
K Matsushima; D Penaud, J-P Barraque, G Moala, A Raka; C Lopez - captain, S Bézy (M Parra, 71); P Ravai (E Falgoux, 53), E Fourcade (A Pélissié, 71), R Slimani (S Falatea, 53); P Jedrasiak (E Annandale, 78), P Yato; J Cancoriet (T Veredamu, 68), C Lanen (T Lanen, 49), F Lee.
J Cancoriet 56-66.
T Nanai-Williams.
M Haley; K Earls, C Farrell, D de Allende, S Daly; JJ Hanrahan (R Scannell, 80), C Murray (C Casey, 63); J Wycherley (L O’Connor, 76), R Marshall (K O’Byrne, 71), S Archer (J Ryan, 49); J Kleyn (F Wycherley, 55 ), T Beirne; G Coombes (J O’Donoghue, 63), P O’Mahony - captain (B Holland, 71), CJ Stander.
S Daly 6-16 mins.
Matthew Carley (England).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
