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Agony for Munster as Toulouse advance after penalty shoot-out in European epic

It was a cruel ending for Munster following a stunning clash at the Aviva Stadium.

Munster 24

Toulouse 24 [win 4-2 in penalty shoot-out]

The tension was sickening and thrilling in equal measures. These were remarkable scenes. A penalty shoot-out, for just the second time in this competition’s history, to decide a truly classic European encounter.

Munster came out on the wrong side of it.

matthis-lebel-makes-a-break-to-score-a-try Toulouse edged out Munster in a penalty shoot-out. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Conor Murray from straight in front on the 22, nailed it. Antoine Dupont from the same spot, nailed it.

Ben Healy from the right-hand 15-metre line on the 22, missed it. Thomas Ramos from the same spot, nailed it. 2-1 to Toulouse.

Joey Carbery from the left-hand 15-metre line on the 22, nailed it. Romain Ntamack from the same spot, nailed it. 3-2 to Toulouse.

And so, we went back to the 10-metre line for the kickers’ second attempts. This was agonising and enthralling to watch, with stomachs churning in the Aviva Stadium.

Murray, from 40 metres out, missed it. Dupont nailed his second go. 4-2 to Toulouse.

Healy had to score from the cross-section of the 10-metre and 15-metre lines on the right but his effort sailed wide and Toulouse were into the Champions Cup semi-finals after an exhausting, thrilling, epic of a European tie. If Leinster beat Leicester, Leo Cullen’s men will host Toulouse back here at the Aviva.

No one deserved to lose today’s contest but Munster can hold their heads high after delivering a performance that very nearly dethroned the reigning European champions.

Though it ended in such agonising and strange circumstances for Munster, this was a stunning occasion as a crowd of 40, 476 packed into the Aviva Stadium. At times, it felt like this would be another glorious chapter to add to the Munster folklore but instead their Champions Cup campaign is over.

keith-earls-celebrates-after-scoring-a-try-with-joey-carbery Munster played some brilliant rugby in Dublin. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

The turnover count was typically high throughout for Munster but keeping track of the number of renditions of The Fields of Athenry was almost as difficult, the Red Army turning out in force to deliver the best atmosphere at the Aviva since Ireland beat the All Blacks last autumn.

Johann van Graan’s men will, nonetheless, have regrets. Their scrum was a weakness, while Joey Carbery missed two penalty kicks at goal in normal time. A 64th-minute injury to Peter O’Mahony was the last thing they needed given his sensational performance.

We got a proper European battle over the 80 minutes and then we got more of the same for another 20 minutes of extra time with penalties thrown in for good measure.

In regular time, both sides had scored three sharp tries apiece. Munster crossed from close-range through the impressive Alex Kendellen and Keith Earls, while fullback Mike Haley finished off a wonderful break from Chris Farrell.

Toulouse wing Matthis Lebel grabbed a brace of classy tries, out-half Romain Ntamack darting over for their other score, while fullback Thomas Ramos nailed nine points off the tee.

Munster’s Carbery scored nine points off the tee in regular time too but had those two kickable misses, while a last-gasp penalty effort from inside his own half by Healy edged just wide before we headed into extra time.

That 20-minute period ended with another Healy drop-goal effort slipping wide, just after Ramos had missed with his own drop-goal chance down the other end. You simply couldn’t have scripted this encounter and it will live long in the memory.

alex-kendellen-scores-a-try Alex Kendellen scores Munster's opening try. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Munster’s characteristic breakdown ferocity was evident from early on, with Kendellen and O’Mahony combining superbly for a turnover penalty in the shadow of the Munster posts as Toulouse threatened after a big surge from Dimitri Delibes up the left before Murray had to make a good tackle on Ramos wide on the right.

Two minutes after that breakdown steal, O’Mahony was teaming up with Josh Wycherley to counter-ruck , forcing a Toulouse knock-on and sparking the first big rendition of The Fields of Athenry.

Their attack had a hugely effective start too, as Toulouse indiscipline gave them a first visit into the 22 and the forwards pulled off a classy back peel play for Jack O’Donoghue to power within five metres. Jean Kleyn carried around the corner and though Murray’s next pass went to deck, Kendellen scooped up the ball and finished with venom, sitting down Dorian Aldegheri and wrestling past Rynhardt Elstadt and Ntamack to dot down.

Carbery’s conversion had Munster 7-0 to the good but Toulouse responded almost instantly. 

Ramos’ inside pass sent centre Pierre Fouyssac on a searing linebreak only stopped metres out by Mike Haley. Ntamack darted to the left of the posts and offloaded for captain Julien Marchand and the mammoth Emmanuel Meafou to carry. Toulouse then shifted the ball right and though Ntamack couldn’t reel in Dupont’s pass, he dropped it backwards, got a lucky bounce past Haley as he looked to smother the ball, then regathered it and finished through Kendellen’s tackle for a try converted by Ramos.

matthis-lebel-scores-a-try Matthis Lebel crosses for Toulouse. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

A madcap passage of high ball-in-play time ensued before Toulouse looked to slow things down and bring their potent set-piece into play, eventually leading to their second score. 

Their first scrum penalty of the day arrived on the quarter-mark, with a maul penalty coming directly afterwards to leave them with a five-metre lineout on the left.

Munster’s pack brilliantly turned them over with some brilliant maul defence but Toulouse simply powered up at the scrum again in response, winning a penalty and, in no great shock, opting for another scrum five metres out.

They won penalty advantage with that one and played off it as the backs clicked in beautiful fashion, Ntamack looping off Pita Ahki and hitting Ramos, whose catch-pass was sublime under pressure, allowing Matthie Lebel to finish on the right.

Ramos converted again but Munster steadied themselves thereafter, muscling up at the next two scrums, while Carbery nearly picked off a deliberate Toulouse lineout overthrow as he made a good read.

A couple of minutes later, he produced a massive touch-finder up the right, with O’Mahony stealing the Toulouse throw from there and then the French side failing to roll away from a tackle. Carbery opted for a shot at goal from 40 metres out in a central position but he missed with a poor connection on the kick.

However, van Graan’s men were to have one final scoring chance in the first half, stemming from sharp counter-attacking up the left, where Farrell rolled a clever grubber kick in behind and Munster forced Ramos into touch in his own 22.

peter-omahony-claims-a-high-ball Peter O'Mahony claims a restart for Munster. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

From the lineout, Damian de Allende carried superbly, Kendellen came around the corner, Murray darted, then Josh Wycherley showed brilliant hands to gather O’Donoghue’s pass and blast forward to within a couple of metres.

With a pen advantage playing, Farrell released a lovely shoulder ball out the back to Carbery and he floated a pass wide to Earls for the wing to stride over. Carbery nailed his conversion from a tough angle and Munster were back to 14-14 for the break.

Carbery had another frustrating miss off the tee with a penalty to the right of the posts early in the second half, following more superb counter-rucking, but then Munster stuck in stunning fashion in the 44th minute.

It was Farrell who created the score after Simon Zebo bravely won back a contestable Carbery kick, the Munster outside centre skinning Elstadt with a classic arcing break and then calmly feeding Haley, who swerved back inside to finish through Francois Cros’ despairing tackle. 

Carbery converted and Haley was soon needed down the other end to make a crucial tackle on Delibes into touch as Toulouse threatened again. Minutes later, amid a cacophony of ‘Zebo’ chants and The Fields, Josh Wycherley pounced for a massive breakdown turnover in the Munster 22.

tempers-flare-between-the-two-teams-during-the-game Tempers flare between the two packs. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Toulouse lock Rory Arnold let his frustration with Munster’s 21-14 lead get the better of him in the 51st minute as he tipped Zebo beyond the horizontal in a tackle just after the Munster wing had offloaded slickly in his own 22.

Following a TMO review, referee Luke Pearce showed him yellow – deciding that Zebo had landed on his back and not the back of his head – and Munster had a 10-minute numerical advantage.

Toulouse gave up another penalty swiftly, infringing at the maul, but replacement hooker Paeto Mauvaka was able to come up with a breakdown steal in their own 22 as Munster looked to turn the screw.

The Irish province’s own turnover count kept on ticking up, though, as O’Mahony and O’Donoghue engulfed Dupont in a choke tackle near the halfway line soon after. Murray then hung up a box kick over veteran sub wing Maxime Médard and he knocked it on.

As Munster played off the right-hand-side scrum, Fouyssac blatantly tackled Farrell off the ball and Carbery was able to open up a 10-point gap on the scoreboard for 24-14 with 57 minutes played. 

chris-farrell-with-rynhardt-elstadt Chris Farrell breaks to set up Mike Haley's try. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Van Graan sent in Craig Casey at scrum-half to lift the tempo further but it was the replacement of the entire front row that had the quicker impact – Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, and John Ryan winning a welcome scrum penalty.

Unsurprisingly, Toulouse, kept on coming as their narrow pick-and-jam tactics gained momentum and drove them towards the Munster tryline, but O’Mahony came up with another huge turnover at the breakdown – injuring himself in the process and being forced off with 14 minutes left. Jack Daly entered the fray for his European debut.

Restored to 15, Toulouse came again and were within scoring range but Munster sub lock Jason Jenkins made a big strip turnover in the tackle to relieve the latest bout of pressure.

And after all that defensive effort, Toulouse scored too easily from a clever lineout strike 22 metres out. Mauvaka broke out the back of the maul set-up and popped a no-look pass back inside to Lebel, who scorched through and bamboozled Zebo with a sharp step to score.

Ramos converted and, just like that, Toulouse were back within three points of Munster at 24-21. With 12 minutes left, anxiety spread through the Red Army. 

matthis-lebel-scores-a-try Lebel scores his second for Toulouse. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Toulouse flooded forward again and their next visit to Munster’s 22 had Munster hearts in mouths but van Graan’s men tackled with a feral edge and replacement loosehead Cyril Baille knocked-on.

With six minutes left, it was still on a knife edge and Toulouse’s scrum dominance returned for a massive penalty win 15 metres in from the right touchline and Ramos opted to go for the posts. 

He slotted it and we were level at 24-24 with just over four minutes to go.

Sub second row Thomas Ahern had a negative impact off the restart, tackling Dupont in the air to allow Toulouse to kick the penalty down into Munster’s half. But on the very next play, Dupont kicked in behind Munster and rolled the ball all the way dead.

Munster got one last, long-range chance with the clock in the red, Ben Healy having a go off the tee with a penalty from 55 metres out. With everyone holding their breath, his effort agonisingly fell wide. It was to be extra time, 10 minutes in each of the two halves. 

Ahern had a big lineout steal early in the first period soon after a superb Casey hit, then the Waterford man made a lethal surge up the middle to give Munster a chance wide on the left. With numbers up, de Allende’s grubber kick was ill-conceived and poorly executed, with Dupont countering out of his 22 wildly in response. 

thomas-ramos-takes-a-kick Ramos was the man to level the scores before the end of the 80 minutes. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

With the clock in the red for the first 10 minutes and Toulouse on the attack, Daly came up with a crucial breakdown turnover and we all got a badly-needed sos beag.

O’Donoghue was next to win a huge turnover early in the second half of extra time, pouncing after a maul went to ground and Munster got a shot down in the Toulouse 22.

Casey prodded at the Toulouse defence and Arnold knocked on in a tackle on the Munster scrum-half, to give them a midfield scrum 15 metres out after Healy snatched at a drop-goal attempt with advantage playing. But with just over five minutes left, Toulouse won a rousing scrum penalty and lifted that siege. 

Down the other end, Toulouse got their drop-goal chance but, with two minutes to go, Ramos’ effort was wide. Munster dropped out from the 22 and Murray, back on for the injured Zebo, was blocked off the ball by Cros.

Penalty Munster and they kicked down the left with a minute remaining. They worked their way infield and in the final seconds, Healy had another drop-goal shot. For a second it looked good, but it slipped wide again and we went to the penalty shoot-out. 

Munster scorers:

Tries: Alex Kendellen, Keith Earls, Mike Haley

Conversions: Joey Carbery [3 from 3]

Penalties: Joey Carbery [1 from 3], Ben Healy [0 from 1]

Toulouse scorers:

Tries: Romain Ntamack, Matthis Lebel [2]

Conversions: Thomas Ramos [3 from 3]

Penalty: Thomas Ramos [1 from 1]

MUNSTER: Mike Haley (Ben Healy ’72); Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Simon Zebo (Conor Murray ’97); Joey Carbery, Conor Murray (Craig Casey ’60); Josh Wycherley (Jeremy Loughman ’55), Niall Scannell (Diarmuid Barron ’55), Stephen Archer (John Ryan ’52); Jean Kleyn (Jason Jenkins ’60), Fineen Wycherley (Thomas Ahern ’72); Peter O’Mahony (captain) (Jack Daly ’64), Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue.

TOULOUSE: Thomas Ramos; Dimitri Delibes (Maxime Médard ’47 (HIA – Pierre Fouyssac ’72)), Pierre Fouyssac (Baptiste Germain ’64), Pita Ahki, Matthis Lebel; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Rodrigue Neti (Cyril Baille ’47), Julien Marchand (captain) (Peato Mauvaka ’47), Dorian Aldegheri (David Ainu’u ’52); Rory Arnold (yellow card ’51), Emmanuel Meafou (Joe Tekori ’64) ; Rynhardt Elstadt (Anthony Jelonch ’47), Thibaud Flament (Selevasio Tolofua ’64), François Cros.

Referee: Luke Pearce [RFU].

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