Munster 19-13 Castres: Hosts claim Heineken Champions Cup win at Thomond Park, but miss out on bonus-point
Munster pick up second victory of their 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup campaign, beating Top 14 side Castres at Thomond Park in Limerick; No 8 Jack O'Donoghue scored the only try in the most played fixture in European Cup history - Saturday being the 17th occasion the sides have met.
By Michael Cantillon at Thomond Park
Last Updated: 28/12/21 11:31pm
A sole try by back-row Jack O'Donoghue, in addition to 14 points via the boot of Ben Healy, saw Munster rack up a 19-13 Heineken Champions Cup victory over Castres at a chilly Thomond Park.
Munster, who came into this clash fresh from a bonus-point success gained at Wasps last week minus 34 senior players, welcomed back 13 to the squad for the visit of the Top 14 side.
The hosts never came close to registering a bonus-point win in Limerick, however, as the decisions of skipper Peter O'Mahony to kick for points rather than push for further tries in a scrappy affair gave them little hope of doing so.
Castres left with a losing bonus-point themselves courtesy of a late try from No 8 Kevin Kornath, while Argentine Benjamin Urdapilleta also kicked eight points.
The clash was one of just three fixtures played on Saturday after a series of games in Europe between British and French clubs were postponed on Friday due to the implementation of new government rules in France for travel to and from the UK.
Just three minutes in, Castres very nearly hit the front when a tip on pass under pressure from Munster centre Damian De Allende was very nearly picked off by wing Bastien Guillemin, who knocked on with clear grass ahead of him.
Castres soon knocked on again in midfield, and it was an error from which Munster would strike for the opening points of the contest, as visiting tighthead Wilfrid Hounkpatin was penalised for failing to roll away a phase later and out-half Healy took full advantage with a superb strike from distance.
A lovely tactical kick over the shoulder from Castres scrum-half Santiago Agata put the visitors in the 22 soon after, before heavy pressure was ended when Munster openside John Hodnett was strong at the ruck to force a breakdown penalty.
Into the second quarter of the match, Munster passed up a golden chance when hooker Niall Scannell overthrew a lineout deep within the Castres 22, after a powerful rolling maul had forced a penalty just moments earlier.
A characteristic O'Mahony lineout steal got Munster back onto the front-foot, but fast-paced, attacking rugby in the wider channels just failed to force a breakthrough.
In the 29th minute, the Munster lead was doubled when an Andrew Conway grubber kick up the wing preceded Tadhg Beirne earning a superb breakdown penalty, which Healy knocked over for 6-0.
A sequence of exciting counter-attacking from deep nearly saw Munster in thereafter, when De Allende and 19-year-old full-back Patrick Campbell combined before the latter's kick just dropped off the pitch with Conway in chase.
Munster soon thought they did have the opening try just past the half-hour, but De Allende's effort was ruled out after a lengthy TMO review for a loss of control in the act of grounding.
Healy knocked over his third penalty effort of the half to stretch things to 9-0 - as Munster had been playing on penalty advantage - but that advantage was soon wiped out when Urdapilleta kicked his first points of the match for Castres after Beirne was penalised - seemingly harshly based on replays - at the breakdown.
9-3 was how the score remained at the half-time break, and the French visitors passed up the chance to narrow things further in the opening moments of the second period when full-back Thomas Larregain knocked an effort off the tee wide from distance.
For the second time in the game, Castres wing Guillemin then should have collected a loose Munster pass for what would have been an intercept try, but like early in the first half, he dropped it with no defenders in front of him as the home crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief.
A Munster scrum penalty followed, and again skipper O'Mahony chose to try and take the points on offer rather than kick to touch in search of a try, but this time Healy shanked his kick from the halfway line wide.
Finally on 58 minutes, Munster did then breach the Castres try-line for the first time when No 8 O'Donoghue did brilliantly to hold off the attentions of three defenders and touch down in the corner.
Healy converted magnificently off the touchline, but Castres were next to trouble the scoreboard when Urdapilleta bisected the uprights to reduce the Munster lead to 10 points, after the away side forced a penalty at the maul.
A turnover penalty thwarted Munster's next attack near the Castres 22, but they were back in the right areas before long and with 11 minutes left, Healy knocked over his fourth penalty of the contest - O'Mahony seemingly disinterested in pushing on for a potential try bonus-point.
As it was, Castres - who finished with 14 men due to injuries - would have the final say in the match as back-row Kornath spun and dipped for the line to score after a series of powerful rolling mauls saw the visitors make in-roads.
The try was enough for a losing bonus-point on the evening, as Munster knocked on their last chance to deny Castres anything in a somewhat deflating evening for the home support.
Indeed, most fans will be unable to attend at Thomond Park for the foreseeable future, after the Irish government announced on Friday a cap of 5,000 people at outdoor events until January 30 due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
