Graham Rowntree’s Munster went from 14-3 ahead after Shay McCarthy, Gavin Coombes tries, to 17-17 after Bayonne wing Remy Baget scored in the corner with four minutes to go. Prop Luke Tagi scored earlier try for the visitors at Thomond Park, who register draw on Champions Cup debut
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 09/12/23 8:14pm
Jack Crowley missed a last-gasp drop-goal as Munster were held to a draw at home to Bayonne in Champions Cup Pool 3, with the French side striking late to level the clash.
Munster appeared to be cruising in the first half at 14-3 ahead, after tries from wing Shay McCarthy and No 8 Gavin Coombes, but a failure to take advantage of numerous opportunities kept the French visitors – making their Champions Cup debut – in it at Thomond Park in Limerick.
Replacement tighthead Luke Tagi struck for a try early into the second period, and then after Munster wing Calvin Nash had been denied by a sensational Arthur Iturria tackle, wing Remy Baget scored in the corner after a rolling maul had done damage with four minutes to play, with out-half Thomas Dolhagaray landing an exquisite touchline conversion to level matters.
Munster, who will be hugely disappointed with the result despite being immensely injury-hit, still managed to force one final chance when Thomas Ahern stole a lineout, but Crowley sliced his drop-goal wide, despite the lack of a chase in defence from the French visitors.
Graham Rowntree’s side travel to face Exeter Chiefs next Sunday, while Bayonne host Glasgow Warriors on Friday.
In the fifth minute, Bayonne took the lead when scrum-half Machenaud struck over a close-range penalty after a Bayonne scrum had devoured their Munster counterparts against the head.
Munster kicked their first penalty to the corner in response after an offside call, and did so with their second penalty as well from even closer to the posts. It proved the right call when sensational handling through the backs saw the ball out to McCarthy, who stepped back inside to finish strongly on his Champions Cup debut.
No 8 Rodrigo Bruni survived a TMO review for a high tackle on Munster wing Sean O’Brien – the latter failing his HIA, seeing 19-year-old academy back Ben O’Connor on for the remainder – but Crowley produced an outstanding kick to the corner for another big chance.
It was a chance Muster took, as after Shane Buckley produced a brilliant throw to the tail, Ahern set Coombes running at the try-line. Three phases later, the No 8 was over under the posts with Fineen Wycherley latched on his shoulder.
Bayonne appeared to hit straight back after a Machenaud break and superb offloading saw full-back Cheikh Tiberghien finish in the corner, but the score was ruled out for a knock-on by Bayonne hooker Facundo Bosch earlier in the attack.
An error-strewn period of play filled with unforced turnovers by both sides was broken when Munster centre Alex Nankivell forced a breakdown penalty, which was marched forward after Tiberghien’s aggressive remonstrations at touch judge Karl Dickson.
That gave Munster another big chance before the break, but though Baget appeared to produce an intentional knock-on to stop a try, referee Luke Pearce was happy to award just a knock-on, and then a penalty for an off-the-ball shove on Baget by Nankivell.
Munster stole the subsequent lineout through Ahern, and then forced a breakdown penalty, kicking back into the corner for one last attack, but it came to nothing as Buckley was swallowed up in the maul.
Into the second period, with with Munster having failed to make the most of two attacks in the 22, Bayonne got over through Tagi, after the Fijian prop ran a great line at pace to power over.
On 55 minutes, after relentless phase attack near the Bayonne try-line, Munster skipper Tadhg Beirne surprisingly chose to kick for points through Crowley the next time a penalty was awarded, stretching the Munster lead to 17-10.
Alex Kendellen produced a breakdown penalty on his own 22 to avert the next Bayonne attack, before three critical moments in the remainder of the match played out.
First, Iturria somehow denied Nash with the try-line begging after the Munsterman had slalomed through at pace. Second, when Beirne won a breakdown penalty, he decided to kick to the corner instead of potentially stretching the lead off the tee to 10 points, and the consequent lineout was then stolen by Iturria.
And third, a Bayonne rolling maul drove for big metres and was then finished out wide by Baget. If Munster’s players and supporters thought their lead was safe owing to the difficulty of the conversion, inches from the touchline, Dolhagaray dashed those hopes with a superb strike.
Beirne ripped possession back in the Munster 22 just as Bayonne threatened to steal victory, but instead it was Munster who had the match-winning chance, only for Crowley to get it all wrong off the boot.
Source : Sky Sports
