Munster came through a thunderous test of their Heineken Champions Cup title credentials as they ended Exeter Chiefs’ hopes with a 9-7 defeat in front of a capacity Thomond Park crowd.
Joey Carbery’s 72nd-minute penalty, from all of 44 metres, decided this Pool 2 shootout in Munster’s favour as they advanced to a record 18th European Cup quarter-final. Don Armand scored the game’s only try following a 12th-minute maul, giving Chiefs a 7-6 half-time lead.
While the defence-dominated phases meant there was no chance of pressing for four tries, Exeter could not edge Munster out of losing bonus point range either, and in the end, Ireland out-half Carbery knocked the Gallagher Premiership leaders out with his third successful penalty of the night.
Despite claiming top spot in the pool and maintaining their excellent home record against English opposition in Europe, Munster will be away from home in the last-eight. Following the conclusion of the pool stages, it has been confirmed that Munster will play Edinburgh, the Pool 5 winners, at BT Murrayfield on March 29/30/31.
Absorbing a typically abrasive start from Chiefs, Munster were first on the board with Carbery, their man-of-the-match against Gloucester last week, punishing a maul infringement from Jonny Hill in the sixth minute. However, Exeter had the lion’s share of possession in the first half with Nic White, Don Armand and Dave Dennis particularly influential.
They were deadly accurate from their first maul opportunity in the Munster 22, the hosts bringing down the drive illegally before flanker Armand managed to barge over with Alex Hepburn in support. Joe Simmonds converted for a 7-3 lead, both teams drawing breath after a frantic opening quarter of an hour.
Carbery doubled his tally with a well-struck 22nd-minute penalty, rewarding an advancing Munster scrum, but the high stakes made for a scrappy contest dominated by tactical kicking. Exeter over-complicated their next lineout chance and handed back possession, as they did a few minutes later when Munster’s man-of-the-match Tadhg Beirne won a relieving penalty at the breakdown.
A brief dust-up after Henry Slade was bundled into touch raised the tension and decibel level. Worryingly for the home fans, poor game management from Munster almost saw them concede past the 40-minute mark. Instead, Mike Haley dived on a spill by Tom O’Flaherty and the one-point margin remained in place.
The third quarter was effectively a stalemate with neither side able to make a breakthrough. Munster were guilty of some loose kicking, giving Jack Nowell opportunities to counter past halfway, and Exeter, who continued to have the better of the breakdown battle, carried the more consistent threat with ball in hand.
An Andrew Conway kick chase finally opened up the Exeter defence in the 60th minute, only for Conor Murray to take the wrong option from a turnover as he was crowded out in the right corner. Winger Conway pressed again from a chip kick soon after, but ever-influential Australian White showed his class with a terrific touchfinder that moved the visitors back into try-scoring range.
Although Rob Baxter’s charges sensed a try after Peter O’Mahony coughed up a lineout penalty, Billy Holland made an immediate impact off the Munster bench with a crucial steal at the set piece. Suddenly, it was Munster who were winning the collisions.
A Sam Skinner lineout offence allowed Carbery to coolly reclaim the lead for the province, whose re-energised defence was summed up by a game-ending double tackle by Keith Earls and replacement Alby Mathewson, at the end of 22 phases from Chiefs.
Johann van Graan described the bruising battle in Limerick as the ‘toughest game of rugby’ during his tenure at the province. Their attack may have flourished against Gloucester, but it was their defence which ultimately edged out Exeter, along with Carbery’s trio of penalties – he is on a goal-kicking streak of 20 successful kicks from 20 attempts.
Giving his reaction afterwards, the province’s head coach said: “Look, it was definitely the toughest game of rugby since I came to Munster, two teams that didn’t want to give up. If you only get one score in the second half when games open up, it just shows how intense it was. It will definitely not go down as the prettiest game of rugby.
“We had a chat at half-time and we had to adapt our plan, look at our composure, and I thought we did it really well in the second half. I thought everyone gave it there all. Special mention to the Chiefs. I have said it so many times, it is a rugby team and a club that I respect so much. You have to give them credit and it was in the balance until literally the last play of the game.
“From our point of view, when the dust settles and we open our eyes tomorrow morning, we will wake up in a quarter-final. That’s the main thing, you have to get out of your pool and we did. It will take care of itself at the end of March.”
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