As it happened: Toulon edge Munster 27-25 in Champions Cup

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RC Toulon's Gaël Drean celebrates after scoring his side's third try against Munster. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Toulon 27 Munster 25

80 mins Game over. Some great defence from Munster stops Toulon getting a bonus point try. They're not happy. Munster get the losing bonus point. 

80 mins Referee playing advantage. Toulon have another penalty. Munster just barely holding onto a losing bonus point at the moment. 

78 mins Toulon have another penalty. They kick to touch and will have a five metre lineout. 

77 mins Toulon celebrate a big turnover at the breakdown. They kick the penalty into Munster's half. 

74 mins Penalty for Toulon. They will take a shot at goal to retake the lead. Domon's kick is successful. Toulon lead 27-25 with less than five minutes to play. 

73 mins Crowley kicks the conversion! Munster lead. Craig Casey goes off. Ethan Coughlan is on for Craig Casey.

72 mins Try Munster! Oh my. How did they manage that? Tom Farrell gets Munster's third try. They trail by one with the conversion to come.

70 mins Penalty for Munster. It came from a great kick chase by Shane Daly. They kick down the line. Toulon steal the line out but then Munster regain possession. 

67 mins Try Munster! Jack O'Donoghue touches down. Munster had an advantage. JJ Hanrahan kicked crossfield. They nearly messed it up but O'Donoghue managed score. Crowley missed the conversion. 

63 mins Penalty for Toulon. They turn down the chance to go to the corner. Marius Domon's kick goes straight down the middle. Toulon extend their lead to 11. 

57 mins Yellow card for Toulon now. Esteban Abadie goes to the sin bin. It's 14 v 14. Four changes for Munster. Michael Milne, John Ryan, and Ruadhan Quinn, and Dan Kelly are on. 

54 mins Yellow card for Alex Nankivell. A major blow for Munster at a key point of the game. 

49 mins Try Toulon. A moment of magic from Gael Drean gets the French side their third try of the game. He chipped over the Munster defence and then the ball bounced perfectly into his grasp. Domon kicked the conversion. 

"Back to 15 and straight into 5th gear" 🗣️

Calvin Nash goes over for Munster's first try of the afternoon! 💪 pic.twitter.com/nzkAyCQ1Gg

— Premier Sports Ireland (@PremSportsIRL) January 11, 2026

46 mins Try Munster! Super response. A Lovely pass from Ben O'Connor puts Calvin Nash over in the corner. Jack Crowley kicks the conversion too. It's a one-point game again. 

45 mins Tadhg Beirne is back on for Munster after his 10 minutes in the sin bin. Change on the Munster team too with Niall Scannell coming on for Diarmuid Barron at hooker. 

43 mins Try Toulon. Scum-half Ben White touches down under the posts for their second try. That is not the start Munster needed to the second half. Domon kicked the conversion. 

Ben White extends Toulon's lead! 🔴

A nightmare start to the second half for 14-man Munster 😬#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/45P6KVcJ8w

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 11, 2026

42 mins Twice to start the second half, Munster win a turnover but then immediately allow Toulon to take it back. 

41 mins Penalty for Toulon to start the second half. Disappointing for Munster. The French side kick down the line. 

40 mins The second half is underway. Big 40 minutes coming up for Munster. They'll be down to 14 for the first five or so minutes of the half with Tadhg Berine still in the sin bin. 

HT Toulon go into the dressing room with a one-point lead.

38 mins Try for Toulon as Marius Domon crosses the whitewash finding space outside Jeremy Loughman and Domon converts his own score to give the home side a one point lead.

Marius Domon goes over for the opening try of the game 🏉

It took 39 minutes, but Toulon finally break down the Munster defence 🔴#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/EevVt2qwgG

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 11, 2026

37 mins Toulon score the first try of the clash but it is ruled out by the referee for a double movement and back to a penalty for Toulon.

36 mins Yellow card for captain Tadhg Beirne for an infringement at the breakdown under Munster's posts.

31 mins Jack Crowley kicks a second penalty to give Munster a six point lead.

25 mins The game has been characterised by errors by both sides so far with plenty of handling errors. Beirne is the latest culprit. 

22 mins Big chance for a Munster try!

Shane Daly hacks a huge clearance down the centre of the pitch after Toulon lose the ball on the Munster 22. 

Nash gets after the kick but gets out-paced by the lightening Gael Drean.

17 mins Toulon 0 Munster 3: Great penalty kick from Crowley means it's first blood to the visitors. 

Was it a harsh penalty call? Brex threw a wild pass, and Casey was subsequently hit by a Toulon player.

How will the hosts respond now? 

13 mins Big moment with Munster celebrating as Jean-Baptiste Gros penalised at the scrum; moments later Jack Crowley puts up a high ball which goes forward off a Munster hand. 

This has been pretty scrappy so far. 

8 mins In news elsewhere, Ulster's game against the Cheetahs is off. 

5 mins Bit of kick tennis before Munster take a lineout but under-resource it and give away a penalty. 

3 mins Good scrum and Munster almost cut Toulon open. Nash sprints through the middle but Tom Farrell loses the ball forward and they end up back in their own 22. Shane Daly should have been up with the play, Stephen Ferris says on commentary.  

2 mins Craig Casey attempts a couple of early box kicks, the second of which is charged down but it will be a Munster scrum. Big test. 

BIG ENTRANCE: Jack Crowley warms-up before the Investec Champions Cup match between RC Toulon and Munster at Stade Felix Mayol. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

1pm And we're off... 

12.57pm Paddy Patterson replaced as replacement scrum-half after sustaining a knock in the warm-up, Simon tell us, Ethan Coughlan onto the bench. 

We're almost ready to go - just time for Ireland's Call before the action gets underway...

12.47pm Looking for the TV details? Here's everything you need to know.

And, as we approach kick-off, read Clayton McMillan's thoughts; he spoke to Simon Lewis this week. 

12.35pm Simon sends this update from Toulon; late change to Munster squad. Tom Ahern ruled out with a neck injury. Ruadhán Quinn takes his place on the bench. 

Munster fans ahead of the match. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

Munster: Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Ben O'Connor; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Michael Ala'alatoa; Edwin Edogbo, Fineen Wycherley; Tadhg Beirne (capt), Jack O'Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Michael Milne, John Ryan, Ruadhán Quinn, Brian Gleeson, Paddy Patterson, JJ Hanrahan, Dan Kelly.

Toulon: Marius Domon; Gael Drean, Nacho Brex, Jeremy Sinzelle, Mathis Ferte; Tomas Albornoz, Ben White; Jean-Baptiste Gros, Teddy Baubigny, Kyle Sinckler; Charles Ollivon (capt), David Ribbans; Lewis Ludlam, Esteban Abadie, Zach Mercer 

Replacements: Jeremy Toevalu, Leo Ametlla, Dany Priso, Brian Alainu'uese, Corentin Mezou, Jules Coulon, Paolo Garbisi, Setariki Tuicuvu

He also snapped each team entering the stadium on what look like a nice afternoon. 

TRUE COLOURS: RC Toulon supporter Chantelle Thierry before the Investec Champions Cup match between RC Toulon and Munster at Stade Felix Mayol in Toulon, France. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

12.30pm Bonsoir! Let's strap in for an early afternoon Champions Cup showdown, shall we?

Munster head to the famous Stade Felix Mayol to take on the might of Toulon in the Champions Cup. 

We'll go minute-by-minute throughout with Simon Lewis on the ground for us in France.