Owen Williams’ last-minute penalty from 52 metres out dramatically handed Munster their first defeat in this season’s Champions Cup as Leicester Tigers dug deep at Welford Road.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: LEICESTER TIGERS 18 MUNSTER 16
Having done the hard work in forcing a converted try from hooker Niall Scannell for a 16-15 lead, Munster’s frustrating afternoon was summed up by the concession of a penalty which out-half and man-of-the-match Williams brilliantly landed for a six-out-of-six place-kicking return.
The result ended the province’s seven-match winning streak, which included last month’s win over the Maori All Blacks, but the losing bonus point could yet prove important. Munster, who have a game in hand, are now second in the Pool 1 table, two points behind Glasgow Warriors and three ahead of Leicester.
Welsh native Williams efficiently punished Munster’s indiscipline all day, the province’s high error count and a couple of costly first half misses from Tyler Bleyendaal allowing Tigers to erase an early deficit.
It was six points apiece by the end of a defence-dominated first half, with New Zealander Bleyendaal successful with his first two penalties but missing two more.
Indeed, Leicester managed to draw level while down to 14 men as number 10 Williams slotted over two successful kicks during Manu Tuilagi’s second sin-binning in the space of a week.
Bleyendaal and Williams swapped two more penalties before referee Pascal Gauzere became more of a pivotal figure in the game. The 50-50 calls were going against Munster and his decision to sin bin Simon Zebo in the 65th minute was particularly harsh.
Hurtling back to cover a dangerous Leicester counter attack, Zebo was committed to the tackle as Adam Thompstone put boot to ball just before he was brought down by the Munster full-back. Gauzere and TMO Eric Gauzins felt otherwise and their decision was to penalise Zebo and issue a yellow card.
Williams, who had put Leicester 12-9 ahead in the 54th minute, mopped up with the three points and suddenly Rassie Erasmus’ charges were under huge pressure at six points down.
The visitors’ pack led the response via successive lineout mauls, John Ryan being just held up before his front row colleague Scannell managed to crash over. With Leicester captain Tom Youngs seeing yellow for a blatant maul infringement and a slipping Bleyendaal just about clearing the crossbar with his conversion, it was advantage Munster.
However, their discipline let them down again at a crucial stage, Leicester winning a key breakdown decision just inside their half and Williams’ monster effort off the tee was enough to see Richard Cockerill’s men bounce back from last week’s 38-point mauling in Limerick.
As expected, wounded Leicester got off to a lively start with bustling centre Tuilagi making three early carries. Tighthead Ryan’s rip in a tackle on Williams released some initial pressure in the Munster 22.
A Bleyendaal break from a scrum brought Munster into Tigers territory and he then opened the scoring in the ninth minute, curling over a penalty after George Worth had blocked Zebo from chasing his own kick.
The Munster forwards increased their influence with a Donnacha Ryan lineout steal and Tigers soon coughed up two maul penalties in quick succession, the second seeing Bleyendaal split the posts for a 6-0 lead.
After a scrappy period with turnovers in both halves, the New Zealander pushed a kickable penalty to the left and wide with 26 minutes on the clock.
Three minutes later, Tuilagi was binned for ‘a late charge with the shoulder’ on his opposite number Rory Scannell, however Munster allowed Brendon O’Connor to get over a ruck ball and win a relieving penalty for his side.
Strong carries up the left wing by Luke Hamilton and Ellis Genge, profiting from Ben Youngs’ pinpoint delivery, had the Leicester attack firing and out-half Williams landed a close-in penalty to get his side off the mark.
Williams got Tigers back on level terms just before the break, with Bleyendaal badly off target with an even later kick after Jack Roberts had gifted Munster an attacking lineout on the 22-metre line.
There were too many mistakes from the province in the final ten minutes of the first half, but they were back on track when Bleyendaal punished O’Connor for a 44th minute ruck infringement.
Although a promising move off a scrum had Zebo causing problems down the right wing, turnover ball allowed Tigers to counter quickly with their skipper Tom Youngs leading the charge.
Indeed, with Conor Murray kicking straight into touch, Munster handed back those three points when Williams whipped over a terrific 43-metre penalty – second row Ryan was the guilty party at ruck time.
Munster’s indiscipline at the breakdown – combined with Zebo getting isolated – was beginning to hurt them as Williams booted Tigers in front for the first time, young centre Roberts’ sizzling 53rd-minute break out of his own half helping to set up the opportunity.
Unfortunately for the vocal travelling support, Munster threw away hard-earned possession when Bleyendaal kicked out on the full and the ball was lost forward from a lineout on the Leicester 22-metre line.
Cool heads were required and despite the promising sight of a muscular rolling maul from Munster, desperate Leicester defence paid dividends when they forced the turnover as Munster opted to go right. Then came Thompstone’s thrilling counter-attacking run and Zebo’s indiscretion, the visitors being hit on the double by the yellow card and Williams’ fifth successful penalty.
Nonetheless, the most reliable of weapons in the Munster arsenal, the maul, came to the fore in the closing stages and Tigers had no answer. The hosts infringed on a couple of occasions, merely prolonging the inevitable as Scannell broke and made it over over the line, all the time playing with a penalty advantage.
It might not have been the prettiest of strikes as he slipped while kicking, but Bleyendaal’s conversion made it 16-15. With Youngs sent to the bin and the reintroduction of Zebo, things were looking good for Erasmus’ side.
Alas, there was to be one last twist in the tale – one that would end Munster’s unbeaten winter run. Showing nerves of steel, Williams expertly landed one of the longest kicks in the European season to date, ensuring that Munster left Welford Road with nothing more than a losing bonus point.
Giving his reaction afterwards, Munster director of rugby Erasmus said: “(The yellow card) was not the reason we lost the game, we will accept it. On the day they (Leicester) deserved it – it was a great game of rugby.
“Last week we were 100% on our game and they were a little off theirs and if you are a little bit off your game at this level then that is what happens. They beat us home and away last year so we always knew this game could go either way.”
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