Thomas leads Racing into final

PARIS, April 22, (AFP): Flying French winger Teddy Thomas scored two tries in a virtuoso first-half performance as Racing 92 defeated Munster 27-22 to reach the European Champions Cup final on Sunday.

Thomas, dropped by the French Six Nations squad after a late night out in Edinburgh earlier this year, scored twice in the first half and unselfishly allowed Maxime Machenaud to claim the third inside the dead ball area.

Racing, who have never won the European Cup despite huge investment in their squad, will face threetime champions Leinster in the final in Bilbao on May 12.

Munster, champions in 2006 and 2008, were 24-3 down at the interval but rallied in the second half, scoring three tries of their own.

Leinster, the 2009, 2011 and 2012 champions, had reached the final with ease on Saturday thanks to a 3816 demolition of Scarlets in Dublin.