Carbery pulls the strings to inspire Reds’ recovery
JOEY CARBERY and Peter O’Mahony inspired Munster to victory as they knocked out 2020 Champions Cuip winners Exeter at Thomond Park.
Carbery reeled off 21 points, captain O’Mahony was the turnover king, and Damian de Allende’s 72nd-minute try booked their quarter-final place.
Out-half Carbery kicked two penalties and converted his own 25th-minute try as Munster – despite Conor Murray’s early sin-binning – built a 13-5 halftime lead.
Sam Maunder’s try from a quick tap was Exeter’s only first-half score, with a late Joe Simmonds penalty falling wide.
South African number eight Jacques Vermeulen drove over in the 48th minute, giving the visitors a narrow aggregate advantage but Munster finished the stronger with Carbery adding a brace of penalties before De Allende delivered the decisive blow, sealing a 34-23 aggregate victory.
Carbery split the posts with a fifth-minute penaltybut the visitors responded with a Maunder try
John Hodnett and O’Mahony both impressed at the breakdown before Carbery managed to dummy through, inside Harry Williams, for a smartly-taken converted try.
Now trailing 21-18 on aggregate, Exeter were held scoreless up to the interval, however when Vermeulen burrowed over on the restart it left Exeter 13-10 down but ahead over the two ties (23-21).
On the hour mark, Carbery cnailed a penalty from 32 metres out and he also punished Jannes Kirsten’s side-entry to leave the Reds 19-10 ahead.
The wily O’Mahony secured another timely turnover, foiling a dangerous Exeter attack, and Munster continued to win the
small moments with 10 minutes remaining.
In the closing stages, De Allende went over in the corner and Carbery’s conversion left Exeter with too much to do. Munster: M Haley; K Earls, C Farrell, D de Allende, S Zebo; J Carbery, C Murray (C Casey 69); J Wycherley, N Scannell, J Ryan; J Kleyn (T Aherne 60), F Wycherley; P O’Mahony (J Jenkins 69), J Hodnett (A Kendellen 69), J O’Donoghue. scorers - tries: Carbery, de Allende; cons: Carbery
(2); Pens: Carbery (4).
exeter: S Hogg; O Woodburn (J Hodge 69), H Slade, I Whitten (T Gilbert-Hendrickson 74), T O’Flaherty; J Simmonds, S Maunder (J Maunder 57); A Hepburn (B Keast 59, J Yeandle (J Innard 59), H Williams; (P Schickerling 59), J Gray, S Skinner; D Ewers (S Grondona 74), J Kirsten, J Vermeulen (R Capstick 59). scorers - tries: Maunder, Vermeulen.
referee: M Raynal (FFR)