Toulouse run in four second-half tries to send Munster out of Champions Cup
Munster's Keith Earls scores a try despite the efforts of Selevasio Tolofua of Toulouse. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland
Toulouse moved closer to a fifth European title with a superb victory over Munster in Limerick on Saturday to set up an all-French quarter-final trip to Clermont Auvergne next weekend.
It was another cruel blow for Munster following last Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 defeat to Leinster but while that performance was roundly criticised, this Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 game brought out the best of their evolving gameplan.
They held a half-time lead at 16-9 thanks to two excellent Keith Earls tries and kept pace with a resurgent Toulouse side in the second half, Gavin Coombes cancelling out a Matthis Lebel try in the third quarter. Yet the quality of the French Top 14 leaders told, Julien Marchand, and two from Antoine Dupont killing off home hopes in a gripping second half.
Coombes scored his second try late on, converted on 80 minutes by Craig Casey but it was too late to stop Toulouse celebrations.
The omens for redemption a week on from the RDS were not good for Munster as they got off to another terrible start, Toulouse immediately putting the home side under pressure with their kicking into the backfield and waiting for an error. It duly came as a poor Conor Murray box-kick beyond his chasers’ reach fell to opposite number Antoine Dupont.
Toulouse charged into the Munster 22 and a penalty soon followed with Chris Farrell sent to the sin bin for a trip on Pita Akhi. Romain Ntamack’s penalty from in front of the posts gave Toulouse a 3-0 lead and left Munster a man down after just four minutes.
Yet Toulouse could not take advantage of their numerical advantage, Ntamack missing another penalty after 10 minutes. It made for a torrid opening but Munster survived and Farrell returned from his yellow card with no further damage to the scoreboard.
Joey Carbery’s kick drew the teams level on 15 minutes, only for the visitors to edge in front again through Ntamack’s boot two minutes later after Dupont punished another poor Murray kick with a dart through midfield to five metres out.
Then came Munster’s moments of magic, two Keith Earls tries in three minutes. The first on 25 minutes stemmed from another strong De Allende carry down the left wing, the centre’s pass to his wing taking out fellow Springbok Cheslin Kolbe, Earls doing the rest, stepping inside Medard and then riding Selevasio Tofolua’s tackle to ground the ball for his opening try.
Earls was at it again with a more simple finish that sprang from a Jack O’Donoghue turnover. A long Murray pass released De Allende who again made hard metres, well supported by gameday captain CJ Stander. Good interplay five metres out between forwards and backs sucked in defenders before the ball went out to the left corner, where Earls was unmarked for the simplest of finishes and a 13-6 lead.
Munster would lead 16-9 at half-time but Toulouse began the second half as they started the first, on the front foot and this time quickly rewarded as Ntamack sent a pinpoint crossfield kick to the left corner for wing Matthis Lebel to score, the fly-half’s touchline conversion levelling the scores at 16-16 just three minutes after the restart.
Back came Munster, Gavin Coombes adding to his try tally as he took a tap penalty and was shoved over the line by his fellow forwards for his 10th of the season on 57 minutes, Carbery notching his first conversion of the game to open up a 23-16 lead.
Yet no sooner did Munster score than Toulouse responded in kind and they were at it again after Keith Earls caught the foot of Kolbe in the air, the resulting penalty and lineout seeing Jerome Kaino feed skipper Julien Marchand for the France hooker to score, Ntamack levelling the scores once more with the conversion on 55 minute.
It was enthralling, end-to-end rugby. JJ Hanrahan, on for Carbery, edging Munster in front with a penalty on 66 minutes, only for Toulouse to strike back again with some brilliant backline play, Kolbe feeding fellow wing Lebel who broke down the left, perfectly timing his pass inside to yet another brilliant support line from Dupont who raced under the posts.
Ntamack’s conversion gave them a 30-26 lead with 11 minutes to go and he had the vocal Toulouse travelling party screaming again as he slotted a penalty on 75 minutes to open a seven-point lead with time against the home side. Dupont’s second try putting the game beyond Munster’s reach despite Coombe’s late consolation.
M Haley; A Conway, C Farrell, D de Allende, K Earls; J Carbery (JJ Hanrahan, 62), C Murray (C Casey, 75); D Kilcoyne (J Cronin, 59), N Scannell (K O’Byrne, 34-40 & 75), S Archer (J Ryan, 59); J Kleyn (F Wycherley, 65), T Beirne (B Holland, 37); G Coombes, J O’Donoghue (C Cloete, 69), CJ Stander - captain.
C Farrell 4-14
M Medard (D Delibes, 64); C Kolbe, Z Holmes, P Akhi, M Lebel; R Ntamack, A Dupont (B Germain, 77); C Baille (C Castets, 48), J Marchand - captain (P Mauvaka, 55), C Faumuina (D Aldegheri, 48); Rory Arnold (T Flament, 54), Richie Arnold (J Tekori, 50); F Cros, S Tolofua (A Placines, 51), J Kaino.
Wayne Barnes (England)
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