Munster Claim Clermont Scalp With Superb Comeback In France

There was high drama at Stade Marcel Michelin where Munster added to their already rich European history with an inspirational 39-31 comeback victory over Clermont Auvergne.

Clermont put in a strong first half performance as tries from Aliverti Raka, Damian Penaud and Etienne Fourcade – along with a penalty try – saw them pocket a bonus point after barely 23 minutes.

However, a battle-hardened Munster fought back in stirring fashion as a try from Mike Haley and 11 points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan kept them in the hunt at half-time, trailing 28-16.

Johann van Graan’s men continued their fight-back in the second half as three penalties from the excellent Hanrahan brought it back to a three-point game.

A Camille Lopez penalty made it 31-25 before Heineken star-of-the-match CJ Stander’s try, which was brilliantly converted from the touchline by Hanrahan, moved Munster ahead for the first time.

With three minutes remaining, they won a scrum penalty and kicked to the corner. From the lineout, replacement Jack O’Donoghue carried hard before Kevin O’Byrne burrowed over to complete a famous result for the province.

Clermont flew out of the traps with a try after only 26 seconds. From the kick-off, a mix up in communication saw Munster fail to secure the ball and this led to a try from Raka via Peceli Yato’s offload.

Hanrahan got Munster off the mark with a fourth-minute penalty, but again a mix-up from the restart allowed Clermont to dictate. The province endured a double blow when Shane Daly’s deliberate knock-on saw him sin-binned and concede a penalty try.

Hanrahan snapped back with a three-pointer, reducing the arrears to 14-6, but it took some terrific work by Stander to prevent Yato from grounding the ball after a threatening Clermont break down the short side.

The French club did not have long to wait for that third try, though, as a scrum penalty and solid lineout set the wheels in motion for an overlap and winger Penaud crossed in the 14th minute, with Lopez converting.

Luck was not on Munster’s side when the ball went forward as Jean Kleyn attempted to score, leaving no end-product following some clever interplay between the back-line trio of Damian de Allende, Chris Farrell and Keith Earls.

A subsequent high tackle on Tadhg Beirne saw Hanrahan close the gap to 21-9, yet Clermont proved unstoppable from a 23rd-minute lineout maul as hooker Fourcade touched down to put 19 points between the teams.

The frantic nature of the opening 40 minutes continued as Munster hit back with a much-needed try in the 28th minute. Captain Peter O’Mahony’s deft pass released full-back Haley for the line and Hanrahan converted.

Munster continued their resurgence at the start of the second half, a Gavin Coombes turnover securing some hard-earned territory and a lineout infringement set up Hanrahan to keep up his 100% record from the tee.

A scrum penalty against the head was followed up by another penalty for Munster at an ensuing maul but, in a rare error from the Kerry native, Hanrahan’s attempt to kick to the corner went dead.

The 28-year-old did not let that disappointment affect him as it was his tackle that led to a Clermont knock-on. From the resulting possession, Munster picked up another penalty which Hanrahan knocked over to leave it 28-22.

The margin was down to just three in the 57th minute, Haley’s offload not going to hand five metres out but a prior no-arms tackle by Judicael Cancoriet brought Hanrahan forward again and he nailed his sixth penalty attempt from six.

Although Lopez replied on the hour mark, the home side were now under increasing pressure as Cancoriet saw yellow for his challenge on Rhys Marshall. Thibaud Launen was also binned in the 68th minute after making contact with Beirne in the air.

From the ensuing lineout drive, ever-influential number 8 Stander registered Munster’s second try. Hanrahan added the extras to edge the two-time champions in front by the minimum margin.

The Munstermen were not finished there, their resilience summed up by young prop Josh Wycherley, on his first European start, turning the tables at scrum time. O’Byrne’s try, topped off by Hanrahan taking his haul to 24 points, sealed the deal.

Giving his reaction after the game, van Graan said: “What we have done over the last six or seven months and all the work we’ve put in over lockdown, all the fitness we have done and small tweaks to our plan gave us belief.

“If you look at the tries they scored, we gave them some easy tries, the first one from kick-off and then the yellow card, which resulted in a penalty try.

“We left a lot of opportunities out there in the first half but we knew if we kept running hard we would get line breaks and that try from Mike Haley was a good example. It’s an excellent win from our side.”

Asked about the performance of 21-year-old loosehead Wycherley, he added: “That’s the stuff dreams are made of, to start your first European game in Clermont against (Rabah) Slimani, one of the best scrummagers in the world.”