FOR FULL MATCH REPORT
LIMERICK is once again a place for big-game hunting. Come April, sudden death European rugby is back in Thomond Park. While nothing is settled until today’s matches are concluded, it could be Wasps visiting Limerick a fortnight before Easter in the quarter-final.
This didn’t have the feel of one of those famous nights of yore, and it won’t be remembered as such. Munster were sloppier than expected. Racing 92 had a much stiffer backbone than predicted. The consequence was a sticky test for the hosts, one they passed but without a four-try bonus point.
Dot-downs from Simon Zebo, Ronan O’Mahony and Ian Keatley nailed down the win, but it was another performance of irresistible energy from CJ Stander that powered them.
It took the entire team a long time to catch up with his levels.
Their scrum, and James Cronin in particular, were under pressure at the start. Racing 92 tighthead Ben Tameifuna, at 23 stone, was not here for a long time, but he squeezed Cronin in the early exchanges. He lasted longer than Cronin, too, the Munster man injured and replaced by Dave Kilcoyne on 13 minutes.
Munster absorbed the pressure from a game visiting team, with the best Racing were able to manage with their pressure a missed penalty from Maxime Machenaud.
Conor Murray had a try attempt ruled out by the television match official after 28 minutes, which looked the correct decision. Earlier in the day Munster had been found innocent of any wrongdoing in how they handled a head injury for Murray against Glasgow a week earlier, and he stood out again here, admittedly among team-mates many of whom were not at recent levels.
Stander almost galloped over for a score before Racing out-half Benjamin Dambielle was sin-binned for a cynical offside to prevent Murray saving the move and setting up what looked an inevitable score. But there was an obdurate cut to the French that had to be admired.
The presumption was a secondpick side would fulfil the fixture while their heads and hearts stayed at home. But they were tough and resolute, and it took 36 and a half minutes for Munster to finally score, with Zebo twisting over for a try and Tyler Bleyendaal converting it.
Marc Andreu almost hared in for a Racing try before half-time, though, and a dull-looking Munster could not keep them scoreless for the first 40 minutes. A breakdown infringement by Peter O’Mahony allowed Machenaud to kick a penalty, leaving Munster 7-3 ahead at the break.
Two quick penalties on the resumption illustrated sharper intent from Munster, and Bleyendaal converted the second of them after 43 minutes. Ronan O’Mahony went close with a raid down the left and on 49 minutes he got over, put in by Rory Scannell.
Still Racing battled, their performance challenging decades’ of wisdom about the appetite for away matches among French sides, let alone those already out of the competition. They scrapped and frustrated, and the returning Ronan O’Gara must have found a cause for pride, no matter how modest, in their effort.
A careless knock-on by Zebo, when under no pressure, pitched Racing back into the Munster 22, and Henry Chavancy wiggled over for a try in the 60th minute. Machenaud kicked the conversion and the margin was back to seven.
This was rather more drama than those in attendance would have wished to see, but a diving try from replacement Keatley in the 71st minute secured the victory, and the home quarter-final, and left nine minutes to chase the bonus.
It didn’t arrive, but spring-time rugby is returning to Thomond Park.