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Munster's Champions Cup hopes all but over after defeat to Racing 92

By Online Editors
Niall Scannell /Getty

Munster’s Heineken Champions Cup hopes are all but over after they were beaten 39-22 by Racing 92 in Paris despite an impressive performance which looked at one stage like it would be rewarded with victory.

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The Irish side’s forwards impressed throughout against a giant French side. JJ Hanrahan kicked 17 points with Andrew Conway scoring the only Munster try.

But it still was not enough for a win as Racing secured their place in the quarter-finals thanks to a brace from Teddy Thomas, a Virimi Vakatawa effort, and Juan Imhoff’s late strike.

Teddy Iribaren added five penalties, but it took until the final 10 minutes for Racing to seal victory and break the back of Munster’s hugely committed display.

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Former Munster ace and Racing lock Donnacha Ryan was a late withdrawal from the French side’s bench due to illness and Hanrahan – passed fit despite a hamstring scare – opened the scoring.

Munster’s strong start continued as their forwards stood up to be counted. They won a second penalty after Racing were penalised for wheeling a scrum and Hanrahan made it 6-0.

The carrying and physicality of the men in red – summed up by prop Dave Kilcoyne – was very impressive and Hanrahan then slotted a third penalty.

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Iribaren got Racing on the board with his first kick after the scrum-half was needlessly blocked off the ball by Jean Kleyn. It gave the hosts confidence as Vakatawa collected a Finn Russell chip.

Thomas grabbed Racing’s first try in the 29th minute as the home side’s momentum grew. The wing scored in the corner, but Munster felt the ball went forward in the build-up.

Iribaren could not convert but did kick a long-range penalty although it still was not enough for his team to go to the break ahead. As Racing launched another attack in the Munster 22, another home try looked certain.

Conway had other ideas as he intercepted a home pass and raced virtually the length of the field to score. Hanrahan converted for a 16-11 half-time lead.

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Iribaren and Hanrahan exchanged penalties at the start of the second period in a kicking tit for tat which then saw Iribaren strike again in the 54th minute after Conor Murray was penalised.

Iribaren’s impressive kicking display continued with yet another strike and it gave Racing the narrowest of leads at the hour mark following a clean Russell break.

The outstanding Vakatawa did brilliantly to hold Chris Farrell up over the try line as Munster pushed hard, but they had to make do with three rather than seven points.

In the 72nd minute Thomas broke Munster hearts as he collected Russell’s cross-kick in the corner.

Thomas did brilliantly to score and get downward pressure just inches from the dead-ball line and the try was confirmed by the TMO after referee Wayne Barnes sent the decision upstairs.

Maxime Machenaud could not convert, but there was still time for Vakatawa to score Racing’s third try with a deadly finish from a Russell pass.

This time Machenaud converted and he also added the extras to Imhoff’s late fourth try which clinched a Racing bonus-point win and cruelly left Munster with nothing to show for their efforts.

– Press Association

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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