Rowntree laments Munster 'making life harder for ourselves' after Bayonne snatch draw 

Head coach admits 17-17 Thomond Park stalemate felt more like defeat after hosts 'didn't show best version of ourselves'

RED REGRET: Munster players, fom left, John Hodnett, Eoghan Clarke, Tadhg Beirne and Jack O'Donoghue react after the Investec Champions Cup Pool 3 Round 1 match between Munster and Aviron Bayonnais at Thomond Park in Limerick. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Graham Rowntree admitted Munster’s 17-17 Champions Cup pool draw with tournament newcomers Bayonne on Saturday night felt like defeat as he conceded next weekend’s trip to Exeter Chiefs was now a much a bigger challenge.

The French Top 14 club from the Basque country snatched two second-half tries having trailed 14-3 at the interval with Thomas Dolharagay’s late touchline conversion stunning an 18,908 Thomond Park crowd to tie this Pool 3 opener.