Munster started and finished in impressive style as a runaway 41-16 victory over Toulouse at Thomond Park secured their first Champions Cup semi-final appearance since 2014.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: MUNSTER 41 TOULOUSE 16
Paul Perez’s controversially-awarded try breathed new life into Toulouse’s challenge at 24-16 down, but closing tries from Darren Sweetnam – his first in Europe – and replacement Andrew Conway sent the province through in convincing fashion.
Roared on by a sell-out crowd, Munster were 10 points up in as many minutes, profiting from Francois Cros’ early sin-binning as prop and man-of-the-match John Ryan muscled over for a try to the left of the posts.
Jean-Marc Doussain’s third penalty success – from all of 44 metres – brought wind-backed Toulouse to within four points (13-9) at the break.
This was a much tighter contest than the 2014 quarter-final in Limerick which Munster won 47-23, but either side of Perez’s converted effort, Rassie Erasmus’ men amassed 28 second half points, including a sharp early score from CJ Stander.
Ever-dependable out-half Tyler Bleyendaal finished with 21 points off the tee, including five penalties, and Sweetnam and Conway gleefully put the result beyond doubt, setting up either a home semi-final against defending champions Saracens or a trip to regular GUINNESS PRO12 rivals Glasgow Warriors.
There were changes to both teams before kick-off, with Munster’s influential scrum half Conor Murray, who has been nursing a shoulder injury, replaced by Duncan Williams who went on to have a fine game. Joe Tekori was brought into Toulouse’s engine room for Scottish lock Richie Gray.
The French club’s discipline was poor from the off, number 8 Cros seeing yellow for an elbow on Williams and his back row colleague Thierry Dusautoir infringing at a maul.
Soon after, the Toulouse captain was unable to prevent the onrushing John Ryan from grounding the ball for the opening try. Bleyendaal converted and then tagged on a right-sided penalty for 10-0.
Munster captain Peter O’Mahony soared for two lineout steals early on, but Toulouse gained a foothold with a bulldozing 20-phase attack. Although Florian Fritz missed a long range penalty, Doussain was able to split the posts from closer in.
Bleyendaal and Doussain swapped penalties after 26 and 31 minutes, the New Zealander punishing a high tackle from Tekori and Toulouse returning the favour after Gael Fickou had gone close to grounding a Doussain grubber kick.
Munster had a strong finish to the half, Donnacha Ryan’s overhead pass releasing Rory Scannell up the left wing before Bleyendaal had a try ruled out for a prior knock-on from Tommy O’Donnell.
Williams also blocked a clearance kick to almost force an opportunist try, but the men in red had no points to show for their pressure, and Doussain drilled over a monster later penalty to close the gap further.
Bleyendaal did likewise from halfway just a couple of minutes into the second period, and then a clever peel off a lineout maul paved the way for number 8 Stander to notch his 47th minute try.
The conversion was slid just wide by Bleyendaal but he nailed a 53rd minute penalty to give Munster a 15-point cushion, with Dave Kilcoyne, Williams, the two Ryans and Simon Zebo all leading by example. Crucially, Toulouse hit back with a brilliantly-constructed seven-pointer from Samoan winger Perez in the left corner.
Replays showed Yoann Maestri’s pass to Perez appeared to go forward, but referee JP Doyle and TMO David Grashoff ruled that there was no conclusive proof, and Doussain’s difficult conversion went over off the right hand post.
With O’Mahony and Stander both off the pitch with knocks, Munster had to dig deep to come out of a tricky spell. Their defence came up trumps, forcing knock-ons and clawing back territory before Bleyendaal punished Arthur Bonneval for not releasing when he was tackled.
His 74th-minute penalty had Munster out of reach and they duly added some late gloss. A big tackle from Jaco Taute forced a turnover and Sweetnam dribbled through to go over unopposed, and Bleyendaal’s inviting pass out to the left flank played in Conway, with the Kiwi adding a classy conversion.
Giving his post-match reaction, John Ryan said: “Toulouse were threatening the entire game with the hard yards they were making. But to be fair to our lads they made the hits and it was a brilliant defensive effort. The set pieces are our bread and butter. They made a statement by coming over here with a 6-2 split on their replacements bench, so we knew they were going to come after us in the scrum.
“We didn’t dominate but we held our own. It was a tough game, and the floodgates opened in the last few minutes, but the scoreline is a bit flattering. We’re absolutely delighted to be going into a semi-final again. It is something we have worked on and something that we believed we could do.
“Not many people would have given a chance of doing that at the start of the season, but we really backed ourselves. This is what we set out to do – do well in Europe and do well in the league.”
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