Munster 26-10 (34-23) Exeter Chiefs: Irish province into Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals
Tries from Joey Carbery and Damian de Allende, plus four Carbery penalties and two conversions saw Munster win thrilling two-legged Round of 16 European tie vs Exeter Chiefs, overturning first leg 13-8 defeat to progress 34-23 on aggregate in front of a rousing Thomond Park in Limerick
By Michael Cantillon at Thomond Park
Last Updated: 17/04/22 7:26am
A 21-point Joey Carbery display, in addition to a brilliant Damian de Allende try, saw Munster overturn a five-point first leg deficit to beat Exeter 26-10 and seal a European Cup quarter-final place.
Having lost 13-8 to the Chiefs at Sandy Park last week minus seven key players, Munster knew they remained firmly in the tie ahead of the second leg at Thomond Park, with Carbery, wing Simon Zebo and skipper Peter O'Mahony all returning and playing big parts - the latter named man of the match after a magnificent performance.
Carbery notched a try, two conversions and four penalties in the victory on his return, finishing with a 100 per cent record off the tee.
- Quins out of Europe after Smith misses conversion
- Leinster crush Connacht to reach Champions Cup quarters
Exeter - 2020 European champions - scored tries through scrum-half Sam Maunder and back-row Jacques Vermeulen, but as in the first leg, they turned down a number of penalty kicks in favour of set-piece attacks, with Munster's defence again proving superb.
Indeed, the tie remained tight until just six minutes to go, when De Allende scored off a sensational Zebo offload to ensure Munster will face Toulouse in the quarters on the weekend of May 6/7/8.
After 11 phases of Exeter carries deep in Munster territory at the start of the contest, O'Mahony marked his return to fitness with a fantastic breakdown penalty five metres from his own try-line to clear the danger.
Up the other end, O'Mahony's back-row colleague John Hodnett repeated the breakdown trick after Exeter knocked on within their own half, allowing Carbery to drive through the uprights for an early 3-0 lead.
De Allende did well to call a mark as Tom O'Flaherty and Stuart Hogg attacked down the left in response - the latter chipping ahead - but playing into a stiff breeze, Munster struggled to clear their lines.
Exeter's sustained spell in the Munster 22 eventually saw them strike for the opening try on 12 minutes, as scrum-half Maunder tapped and went from close-range - a score which also saw Munster's Conor Murray sin-binned for not being 10 metres back when making a tackle to try and stop his opposite number.
Joe Simmonds missed the conversion with a poor strike wide, before Hogg kicked the ball dead from his own half in the next phase of play.
From the subsequent scrum, and with full-back Mike Haley operating as scrum-half with Murray in the sin-bin, Jack O'Donoghue twice charged for big metres, before Exeter were caught offside in their 22, allowing Carbery to restore Munster's lead on the day at 6-5.
Haley kicked a defensive box-kick out on the full shortly after, handing Exeter another visit into Munster's 22. But after more Chiefs phase play - seven this time - the home side's superb defence saw them turnover the ball again at the breakdown through O'Donoghue.
Murray returned from his yellow card thereafter, meaning Munster failed to concede a single point while down to 14, and an opportunity opened up when Keith Earls broke up the right after another Hodnett turnover, only for the former's inside pass to fall for Exeter prop Harry Williams.
Within moments, O'Mahony jackalled to win another turnover penalty out wide though, and this time Munster kicked for the corner. The consequent maul crept up the touchline, before Carbery dummied and showed great feet seven phases later to step through for a wonderful try.
Carbery converted with Earls holding the ball in place on the tee, but centre Chris Farrell had to be on hand to make a vital tackle past the half-hour as the dangerous O'Flaherty again sprinted into space.
A scrum penalty won against the head by John Ryan saw Munster clear their lines to thwart Exeter's next good platform, before Zebo dropped an intercept which would almost certainly have seen him run in a try had he held on.
With the final kick of the half, Simmonds had the opportunity to level the tie on aggregate off the tee, but as with his earlier conversion, he pushed the kick wide to the right, leaving Munster 13-5 up at the break and 21-18 ahead in the tie.
The half-time stats read seven Munster turnovers to zero from Exeter, and six penalties against the Chiefs to three against Munster, with momentum firmly in the direction of the home side.
After an early Munster lineout malfunction in the second period, Exeter began the half with 13 phases of carries in midfield, but resolute defence saw the hosts give up very little meterage before Jannes Kirsten knocked on.
Murray kicked out on the full following the resulting scrum, however, handing possession back to the Chiefs in the Munster half, and after 15 phases of intense attacking brought the visitors up to the try-line, a penalty against prop Josh Wycherley for offside followed.
Having twice turned down the chance to kick for the posts to level the tie on aggregate in favour of five-metre tap penalties, Vermeulen proved too powerful from close range as he drove over to score for the Chiefs nine minutes after half-time.
Simmonds missed his third kick of the day when the conversion bounced off the post, before Munster responded with their own furious spell of attacking, only for Vermeulen to end it via a brilliant breakdown penalty of his own in the 22.
With Munster pushing hard in the Exeter third for a score in reply, an outstanding counter-ruck led by O'Mahony saw a penalty forced for the Chiefs sealing off, with Carbery then kicking Munster into a single point aggregate lead at 24-23, and 16-10 on the day after an hour.
A needles penalty given away by Kirsten for clearing O'Donoghue from the side and well past the ruck saw the hosts awarded another penalty some 50 metres out, and after brief deliberation, Carbery produced a tremendous strike off the tee to add to their lead.
A penalty against Munster at the breakdown saw Exeter turn down the chance to kick for goal in favour of a lineout drive, and though the maul made headway and saw the Chiefs attack deep in the 22, another brilliant O'Mahony breakdown turnover got Munster out of trouble.
Earls jackalled and counter-rucked to win possession back again soon after, before casualness from Hogg in defence after a Craig Casey kick ahead was very nearly punished with Earls in chase.
Munster continued to come forward and on penalty advantage after springing the ball wide, Zebo produced a scintillating offload inside for De Allende to dive over and cue delirium in the stands.
Munster saw out the remaining time with more solid defence, and after later watching Toulouse knock out Ulster in Belfast, will host the Top 14 side in the quarters, though Thomond Park is likely to be unavailable due to previously arranged Ed Sheeran music concerts the same weekend.
