Munster 24 Toulouse 24 (aet; Toulouse win 4-2 on penalty kicks)
It was a game for the ages, a rip-roaring, riveting spectacle, full of thrills and spills, great individual moments, brilliant tries, and enough plot twists to shred the nerves of even the most phlegmatic onlooker; not that there would have been many who did not have skin in the game in a crowd of 40,407 at a vibrant Aviva Stadium.
Toulouse will return to Dublin next weekend to face Leinster on foot of winning the kicking lottery, a penalty shoot-out that determined the winners in knockout match for only the second time in 27 years of the Heineken Champions Cup.
It was apposite that Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, and Romain Ntamack were flawless in the outcome defining place-kicking duel – Munster's Ben Healy, twice and Conor Murray, once missed kicks – because it was their creative artistry that ensured a tangible return from Toulouse's physical dominance in some aspects of the forward battle. There were also principal characters in chasing down a 24-14 deficit as the match entered the final quarter.
The nature of the contest and its outcome will gnaw away at Munster in the immediate aftermath but once the pain and disappointment begin to subside, they should take pride and some solace from their efforts. The pre-match challenge for the Irish province was to have the courage and conviction to play, and they did, brilliantly at times.
They took the reigning European champions to the threshold of defeat and drawing energy and adrenaline surges from the riot of colour and noise that emanated from the stands in the unstinting support from the Munster fans, the team came up a whisker short.
Munster needed every one of the 19 turnovers because Toulouse physically dominated the gain-line for most of the match
Three missed penalty attempts, two drop goal efforts that failed to find the mark and a couple of potential try scoring overlaps spurned underline that Munster missed out on some additional points on offer but to unduly focus on that would be churlish in the light of the performance. The video analysis will rigorously examine the decision-making process.
Toulouse too will have some regrets that they had their pockets picked, time and again at the breakdown, when in excellent scoring positions. Munster captain, the outstanding Peter O'Mahony was their tormentor-in-chief, four turnovers alone, while replacement Jason Jenkins and Josh Wycherley also waded in, in that regard.
Physically dominated
Munster needed every one of the 19 turnovers because Toulouse physically dominated the gain-line for most of the match and mullered Munster in the scrums. The breakdown, though, belonged to Munster. It was also far from a rearguard action on Munster’s part.
They scored three cracking tries, the pick of which belonged to Mike Haley, following a superb break from Chris Farrell. Alex Kendellen demonstrated his fight and leg drive, while Joey Carbery combined with Keith Earls to finish off excellent work from the pack in the build-up.
When the Irish province played with tempo, using offloads and tip-on passes, they created mayhem in the Toulouse defence; the only cavil that they did not execute one or two more. It was superb team effort with O’Mahony in the van but Jack O’Donoghue, Kendellen, the Wycherleys, Damian de Allende and Chris Farrell conspicuously prominent.
It was fitting that Ramos should tie it up with five minutes remaining in knocking over a penalty; he was blemish-free from the tee but also outstanding in general play
Jack Daly made an auspicious European debut too, while Jenkins, Thomas Ahern and Craig Casey enhanced the collective from the bench.
And then there was Simon Zebo, the victim of a dangerous tackle in which Toulouse secondrow Rory Arnold received a yellow card, but it was the Munster wing's bravery and skill in the air that was the genesis for Haley's try and, on another occasion, he dived on a loose ball in the face of swinging boots inside his 22, to rescue a perilous situation.
Toulouse, having trailed to Kendellen's try, struck back with a brace. Referee Luke Pearce and television match official Stuart Terheege decided that Romain Ntamack's fumble did not go forward and the outhalf capitalised by dotting down for a try. He was then twice involved in setting up a run-in Mathias Lebel.
Pulsating occasion
The Toulouse left wing has a decent try scoring record against Munster and his second on 66-minutes was a doozy, as he snuck in from the blindside wing to take Peato Mauvaka’s beautifully weighted inside pass and sidestep Zebo to cross for a try.
A word too for Toulouse coach Ugo Mola who brought on scrumhalf Baptiste Germain, shifted Dupont to outhalf and Ntamack to centre as his team successfully chased down that 10-point deficit in the final quarter.
It was fitting that Ramos should tie it up with five minutes remaining in knocking over a penalty; he was blemish-free from the tee but also outstanding in general play.
Extra time could not separate the sides so the three kickers apiece, six-penalty shoot-out materialised. Unlike the game it did not go the distance.
For Munster it was an anticlimactic end to a pulsating occasion; Toulouse, as winners, will have no complaints.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 9 mins: Kendellen try, Carbery con, 7-0; 11: Ntamack try, Ramos con, 7-7; 26: Lebel try, Ramos con, 7-14; 38: Earls try, Carbery con, 14-14. Half-time: 14-14. 43: Haley try, Carbery con, 21-14; 56: Carbery pen, 24-14; 66: Lebel try, Ramos con, 24-21; 75: Ramos pen 24-24.
MUNSTER: M Haley; K Earls, C Farrell, D de Allende, S Zebo; J Carbery, C Murray; J Wycherley, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; P O'Mahony (capt), A Kendellen, J O'Donoghue.
Replacements: J Ryan for Archer (50 mins); J Loughman for J Wycherley, D Barron for Scannell (both 54); J Jenkins for Kley, C Casey for Murray (both 59); J Daly for O'Mahony (63); T Ahern for F Wycherley, B Healy for Haley (both 71); Murray for Zebo (HIA, 96).
TOULOUSE: T Ramos; D Delibes, P Fouyssac, P Ahki, M Lebel; R Ntamack, A Dupont; R Neti, J Marchand (capt), D Aldegheri; R Arnold, E Meafou; R Elstadt, T Flament, F Cros.
Replacements: M Medard for Delibes (h-t); P Mauvaka for Marchand, C Baille for Neti, A Jelonch for Elstadt (all 46); D Ainu'u for Aldegheri (50); J Tekori for Meafou, S Tolofua for Flament, B Germain for Fouyssac (all 63) P Fouyssac for Medard (HIA, 71).
Yellow card: R Arnold (50).
Referee: L Pearce (England).
