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Munster's European dream at risk in Paris against high-powered Racing attack

By Ben Smith
Munster's European fate hangs on securing points in Paris against Paris. (Photos/Gettys Images)

Watch Racing 92 v Munster and all the European Champions Cup action live on RugbyPass in Asia and Australia. 

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Every side would be wise to remember to never underestimate Munster in Europe.

The doggedly tough side has a history of knocking off more fancied opponents and dragging them into bare-knuckled slugfests in the Champions Cup.

Last year it was the high-flying Premiership darling Exeter Chiefs who were dragged through two key pool games in which Munster pulled off a tight 9-7 win at home and a 10-all draw at Sandy Park.

The Chiefs never recovered from that opening pool round draw and were left stumbling at the pool stage while Munster went onto their third-straight European semi-final appearance.

As they embark on their quest to make it back to their fourth consecutive semi-final, their European lifeline this season is holding on to a thread but not without hope as the traditionally tough Cork-side has scrapped their way through Pool 4 to stay in contention.

In Simon Zebo’s return to Thomond Park, back in the first clash between the French glamour club Racing 92 and Munster, the visitors built a 14-6 lead early.

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Powered by a majestic piece of individual skill by Finn Russell, using a ‘nutmeg’ grubber kick to score the opening try, Racing looked ominous early.

Munster stayed in the fight and scrapped their way to a crucial 21-all draw via a late try to Andrew Conway and a clutch conversion from stand-in flyhalf JJ Hanrahan to save the European season.

Although he missed a subsequent game-winning drop goal attempt, that sideline conversion confirmed the points would be split and prevented Racing from taking a major leg up in the Pool.

Back-to-back games followed against last year’s Champions and salary-cap sanctioned Saracens, who were boosted by the return of their internationals following a World Cup rest in the return fixture.

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Across two dogfights between two physical sides that let nothing slip, just three tries were scored where honours were shared 1-1 in two low scoring affairs.

Both sides completed a mountain-load of tackling as they bashed each other into a stalemate, before frustrations boiled over into a sideline brawl at Allianz Park at the end of the second leg.

Munster’s European season has now reached a pivotal point, with a daunting task ahead to try and slow down Racing’s prolific attack on the fast 4G surface inside La Paris Defense Arena.

Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell has been pulling the strings at the front of a ‘Hollywood’ backline, gifted with riches worthy of any international side at his disposal.

Fijian-born French centre Virimi Vakatawa has been in blistering form this season and wouldn’t look out of place in France’s Six Nations squad. He is top five in defenders beaten along with Racing’s winger Teddy Thomas.

Both Racing wingers, Thomas and Juan Imhoff, sit first and second among all players with the most clean breaks in the Champions Cup this season.

After a quiet night in his first game at Thomond in opposition colours, ex-Munster man Simon Zebo will be looking for a big performance back in the comforts of the high-tech Parisian arena against his old side.

Munster’s stingy defence will have to be even stingier to pull off this invasion into the French capital to steal the full complement of competition points.

With 11 points, they are well in the hunt to qualify for the quarterfinals, but if they are to top the Pool they must win in Paris and also hope that Saracens beat Racing in the final round of pool games.

However, failure to secure any losing bonus points this weekend would put Munster perilously in danger of being leapfrogged by Saracens and missing the finals altogether.

Making matters worse, Munster’s flyhalf Joey Carbery is out for the immediate future after breaking his wrist at Munster training.

But history has proven time and time again – never underestimate Munster in Europe.

You can watch all the Racing 92 v Munster and all the European Champions Cup action live on RugbyPass in Asia and Australia. 

 

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J
Jon 6 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 9 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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A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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