Racing 92 7 Munster 32
Yet again, Munster did Anthony Foley proud. Above all else their late head coach wanted his players to be clinical, and returning to Paris for this emotionally charged, re-arranged game with Racing they put the French champions to the sword with ruthless efficiency.
Such was the command of the game that Munster not only won but had secured a bonus point by the 55th minute, which helpfully also allowed Rassie Erasmus to make full use of his bench. They thus returned to the top of Pool One on 16 points, three clear of Glasgow, whom they meet in what looks like a pool decider with a potential home quarter-final at stake on Scotstoun’s all-weather pitch next Saturday.
With the security of a final game at Thomond Park against Racing, which on this evidence looks like a nailed-on five-pointer, qualification for the quarter-finals after pool exits in each of the last two seasons appears well within their radar.
In truth, with Racing already out of contention and the Stade Yves du Manoir even grimmer than normal on a grey, dank and bitterly cold afternoon in the north-west of Paris, despite a 9,233 crowd swelled by a battalion from the Red Army of about 1,000, the atmosphere was actually somewhat subdued.
Munster’s efficiency contributed to keeping the home crowd quiet until some late and token noise, as evidenced by Racing having only one scrum in the first hour.
With 62 per cent possession and 70 per cent territory in the first-half, and five line breaks to one in that period, this was a classically effective away performance straight out of Munster’s European manual. Strong and aggressive in defence, they stopped Racing’s carriers in their track and, helped by a rock solid line-out and scrum, played for territory and then patiently went through the phases, often through one-off runners. There was nothing too fancy or risky about it, but it served to further quieten the crowd.
Up front, Donnacha Ryan put in another immense shift, full of spoiling and donkey work, as did Peter O’Mahony, while Tommy O’Donnell was full value for his hour on the pitch with some big plays and there was another Man of the Math performance by CJ Stander as well as a wondrous try.
Once more it could just as easily have gone to Conor Murray, who exuded control and created two of the tries, the first of which again demonstrated Simon Zebo's uncanny eye for the try line.
Their superiority was clear from the off when Zebo fielded Xavier Chauveau's box kick and they went through the phases wide to the other side of the pitch. O'Donnell accelerated out of one tackle and offloaded inside to the supporting Tyler Bleyendaal. He was hauled down short of the line by Juan Imhoff, but still it was encouraging, as was the ensuing line-out drive, even if Bleyendaal was then done for not releasing after a poor pass from Murray.
Murray and Zebo also failed to claim the first two high kicks, although in between Rory Scannell came quickly off the line to nail Imhoff and force a spillage. After another line-out drive on half-way, O'Donnell was laid out by a high one-armed hit from Chris Masoe, which was worthy of a penalty even before World Rugby's New Year diktat, and certainly worthy of recourse to the TMO for a further sanction.
In any case, after Rory Scannell opted to find touch inside the Racing 22, a steal by O’Donnell saw Munster go wide to Ronan O’Mahony and pile on the pressure with a sequence of multiple one-off charges at the line, either side of opting to go to the corner for another line-out drive.
This led to a second penalty in front of the posts for offside, and this time O’Mahony opted for Bleyendaal to tap over the opening score. Munster lost a couple more in the air, but their defence was aggressive and comfortable.
Murray tackled his former teammate Casey Laulala into touch, and from the line-out - which was also running smoothly - Rory Scannell found an even better touch with a long, angled kick. This was also turned into pressure when Niall Scannell's hit on Anthony Tuitavke forced a soft knock-on, which O'Donnell latched onto.
After a couple of attacking scrums, Rory Scannell and Peter O’Mahony made charges before Murray skip-passed to Zebo - who else? - and though faced by a two-on-two he turned it into his 50th try for his province when taking Teddy Thomas’ tackle on the outside.
Thanks to a choke tackle by Ryan and O’Mahony on Chauveau, and Murray claiming a fine, leaping take which was augmented by Jaco Taute’s long touchfinder, Munster remained in the ascendancy. Superb spoiling by Ryan, for a second time, on a Racing line-out drive, earned another attacking scrum, and Cronin was prevented from grounding the ball short of the line by a matter of inches. Compensation came by way of another tap-over penalty for offside, as O’Mahony reminded the referee that the home side were now serial offenders.
“Racing zero, Munster one.”
Even the PA announcer sounded downbeat.
Even Racing’s relative reprieve was temporary. Benjamin Dambielle’s clearance was brilliantly charged down by CJ Stander for the alert Rory Scannell to gather. Far from done, Stander worked quickly back into the line off the recycle to fend off Masoe on the 22, giving him the momentum to take tackles by Tuitavke and Thomas for his 29th Munster try in his 91st game for them, and one of his finest.
Bleyendaal converted.
And even when Racing raised their first gallop of the half, Niall Scannell's tackle on Luc Ducalcon forced another turnover which was compounded when Imhoff kicked out on the full to give Munster one last attacking line-out outside the 22.
Off the drive, Murray went blind, grubbering through deftly as the ball and Andrew Conway hugged the touchline for a neat gather and finish. The video replays showed he had adroitly avoided putting his foot in touch, and had been onside, and Bleyendaal, as his is wont, landed the touchline conversion for an eminently satisfying 25-0 interval lead.
Although Racing had clearly received an interval dressing-down and re-emerged briefly revived - when helped by a curiously risky chip inside the 22 by Rory Scannell which was out of kilter with Munster’s first-half performance - the away side remained in the ascendancy.
This was thanks to a muscular rip in the tackle by Murray, a choke tackle turnover by Conway and Stander on Camille Chat and a ferociois Munster scrum which demolished the Racing pack, to heap further indignity on the French champions.
Thrice Munster then went to the corner in search of the bonus point, which came at the third attempt with a well controlled drive, kept nice and long, for Niall Scannell to touch down. Bleyendaal again converted.
Racing's surprisingly loyal fans were given belated cause to chant and bang their drums (maybe it was just an excuse to stay warm) when a grubber by Carter ricocheted wickedly between Murray and Zebo, who slipped, and Imhoff hacked on for Matthieu Voisin to gather and score. Carter converted and Conway was perhaps fortunate not to be yellow carded for tugging back Imhoff.
The endgame was all about playing out time, an anti-climactic finale which suited Munster just fine.
Scoring sequence: 15 mins Bleyendaal pen 0-3; 23 mins Zebo try 0-8; 34 mins Bleyendaal pen 0-11; 36 mins Stander try, Bleyendaal con 0-18; 40 (+1 mins) Conway try, Bleyendaal con 0-25; (half-time 0-25); 55 mins N Scannell try, Bleyendaal con 0-32; 64 mins Voisin try, Carter con 7-32.
Racing 92: Juan Imhoff; Joe Rokocoko, Casey Laulala, Anthony Tuitavke, Teddy Thomas; Benjamin Dambielle, Xavier Chauveau; Khatchik Vartanov, Camille Chat, Luc Ducalcon, Gerbrandt Grobler, Francois van der Merwe, Chris Masoe (capt), Matthieu Voisin, Antonie Claassen. Replacements: Dan Carter for Dembielle (12-18 mins) and for Thomas (57 mins), Virgile Lacombe for Chat, Julien Brugnaut for Vartanov, Cedate Gomes Sa for Ducalcon (all 50 mins), So'otala Fa'aso'o for Masoe, Henry Chavancy for Laulala (both 57 mins), Ali Williams for van der Merwe (62 mins). Not used - James Hart.
Munster Rugby: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Ronan O'Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; James Cronin, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland, Peter O'Mahony (capt), Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander. Replacements: Jack O'Donoghue for O'Donnell (48 mins), Dave Kilcoyne for Cronin, Keith Earls for O'Mahony, Francis Saili for Taute (all 56 mins), Rhys Marshall for N Scannell (62 mins), Stephen Archer for Ryan, Duncan Williams for Murray (66 mins), Dave Foley for Ryan (74 mins), Taute for R Scannell (74-75 mins).
Referee: Matthew Carley (England).
