Andrew Conway took on the mantle of match winner for Munster as his stunning 74th-minute try saw them pip Toulon 20-19 in a titanic Champions Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: MUNSTER 20 TOULON 19
Winger Andrew Conway’s decisive score from a kick return, which saw him beat four defenders from near halfway, sent the province through to a record 13th European semi-final and a trip to Bordeaux’s Stade Chaban-Delmas to face Pool 4 rivals Racing 92, who won 28-17 at Clermont Auvergne on Sunday.
Replacement Francois Trinh-Duc almost inspired a famous Limerick victory for Toulon, kicking two penalties and having a key involvement in Chris Ashton’s converted try as the three-time champions began the final quarter with 13 points in little over seven minutes’ play.
However, Munster, who led 10-6 at half-time thanks to an opportunist Conor Murray try near the half hour mark, used all of their cup nous to pull off a gritty comeback triumph thanks to Conway’s dazzling effort and Ian Keatley’s all-important conversion.
Toulon’s threat was obvious right from the first minute, fortune favouring Munster as Simon Zebo did just enough to prevent Ashton from scoring off Eric Escande’s dangerous kick. Not for the first time, the hosts rode their luck in avoiding a possible penalty try.
A lineout steal from captain and man-of-the-match Peter O’Mahony, coupled with Conway’s vital tackle on Josua Tuisova on the opposite wing, kept the visitors scoreless until Anthony Belleau, a late inclusion at out-half for Trinh-Duc, fired over a well-struck 10th-minute penalty.
After Munster turned down a long-range kick, CJ Stander was squeezed out in the left corner as he hunted for a try and the covering Ashton beat Conway to a Zebo kick through.
Raphael Lakafia’s hoovering up of Billy Holland’s lineout steal allowed the beefy Toulon pack to get within range for Belleau to left-foot an 18th-minute drop goal for a 6-0 lead.
The injury-enforced withdrawal of Zebo robbed Munster of one of their key attackers, but a couple of frenzied kick chases, allied to a strong carry from Jack O’Donoghue, led to Murray’s momentum-changing 27th-minute score. Toulon thought they had covered the danger, only for France captain Guilhem Guirado to knock on at a ruck close to his own line and Murray pounced to ground the ball.
A prolonged deliberation between referee Nigel Owens and TMO Jonathan Mason went Munster’s way, and Keatley converted and then tagged on a 31st-minute penalty, punishing Semi Radradra for tackling Zebo’s replacement Darren Sweetnam without the ball.
Murray was short and wide with a penalty attempt from just inside the Toulon half, before the French powerhouses got no reward again from a Dave Attwood break and a threatening late attack that saw Sam Arnold bump former All Black Ma’a Nonu into touch.
Defences were on top in the early stages of the second period, Munster getting on the front foot with O’Mahony continuing to cause problems for the Toulon lineout. Arnold, who was excellent in midfield along with Rory Scannell, hauled down Tuisova as he threatened from deep, while the consistently well-positioned Ashton covered Sweetnam’s chip-and-chase effort.
Munster’s front row reserves – James Cronin, Niall Scannell and John Ryan – came up trumps in winning a scrum penalty which Keatley turned into three points, but Toulon’s own bench proved hugely influential entering the final quarter.
Radradra just lost control of the ball as he stretched for the line, under pressure from Alex Wootton, before Trinh-Duc punished Jean Kleyn’s side-entry at a maul to cut the gap to 13-9.
It got even better for the travelling support when Trinh-Duc’s offload near halfway was adjudged to be flat, releasing Mathieu Bastareaud who charged through and put the supporting Ashton diving in under the posts. Suddenly, Toulon had a grip on proceedings as Trinh-Duc’s pinpoint 48-metre penalty, won by Tuisova, gave them a six-point advantage (19-13).
It was all hands to the pump for Johann van Graan’s injury-hit side, replacement hooker Niall Scannell being held up by Bastareaud before Munster’s subsequent decision to go wide was foiled by the Toulon rearguard.
It was Conway who came to Munster’s rescue, brilliantly keeping a Trinh-Duc clearance kick in play and, with Tuisova having run in-field, the Ireland international expertly slalomed his way through the cover, including last man Malakai Fekitoa, to cross close to the posts. Keatley added the extras and Munster’s dogged defence did the rest, frustrating Toulon into submission.
A delighted van Graan, whose side will face Racing for the third time this season on April 21-22, said afterwards: “It was an incredible game of rugby. I thought two great sides, two great clubs that went at each other for 82, 83 or 84 minutes. There were a lot of ebbs and swings in that game.
“I thought they started really well. I thought we fought our way back into it. Leading 10-6, we got some momentum straight after half-time, put points on the board. We scored a try, they scored a try. We were six points down. We plan for situations like this. It is easy to plan it, it is very difficult to execute it.
“We scored a fantastic try (through Andrew), converted it to kill the game there for the last few minutes. I think gratitude is the main word. It is a fantastic honour to coach a group of warriors.
“If it gets better than this it is going to be something amazing because like I said before, all the odds were stacked against us, I don’t think a lot of people gave us a chance, but if you have 23 guys who believe, a coaching and management staff that believe, a squad of players who believe and a club that really believes, you can do the unthinkable and you can make dreams come true.”
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