Munster beat Racing in bruising Champion's Cup battle
By PA
Last Updated: 22/10/17 4:10pm
Conor Murray's 60th-minute charge-down try set Munster on their way to a gritty 14-7 European Champions Cup win over Racing 92 at Thomond Park.
After a scoreless but absorbing opening hour in windy conditions, converted scores from Murray and replacement Andrew Conway returned Munster's opening Pool 4 win.
However, a late Leone Nakarawa try and a dominant finish from the Racing pack left Munster hanging on.
There was a poignant start to proceedings in Limerick as Anthony Foley was remembered with a minute's applause, one year on from his death.
Although Thomond Park debutant Dan Carter took a heavy leg contact early on, Racing were first to settle and applied pressure to the Munster lineout.
Half-backs Ian Keatley and Murray booted the home side deep into Racing's half. But their Kiwi hooker Rhys Marshall, who went close from an initial maul, let the visitors off the hook with a subsequent overthrow.
Further opportunities were missed by Munster, who turned down successive shots at the posts into a swirling wind.
The Racing defence duly held out with flanker Wenceslas Lauret winning a key penalty at the breakdown.
The tables were turned with a sustained bout of Racing pressure approaching the half-hour mark with crucial tackles from Rory Scannell and man-of-the-match Dave Kilcoyne keeping them out as Maxime Machenaud and Antonie Claassen became increasingly influential.
Both defences gave little away with the wind-backed Racing unable to convert a 67 per cent share of first-half possession into points.
Munster were the aggressors on the resumption, Keatley's cross-field kick finding Darren Sweetnam, who was tackled into touch by Pat Lambie. While a sublime behind-the-back pass from Simon Zebo almost released Keith Earls for the left corner.
After Racing squandered a couple of gilt-edged opportunities from mauls, a scrappy period was broken by Murray's breakthrough try.
The Ireland and Lions star blocked Machenaud's kick at the side of a scrum and gathered the loose ball to score in the left corner.
The momentum was with Munster as Keatley converted and their scrum launched them forward again, although the fly-half missed a very kickable penalty.
Nonetheless, with Earls and Kilcoyne gaining ground in the visitor's 22, a purposeful attack ended with Zebo's cut-out pass and a final delivery from Scannell sending Conway over in the right corner.
Having been fortunate to draw with Castres last Sunday, it seemed Munster were back on track as Keatley added a terrific conversion to extend the lead to 14-points.
But Fijian giant Nakarawa lunged over from a ruck to earn Racing a losing bonus point and as the visitors pushed for a late levelling score, Baptiste Chouzenoux knocked on at a five-metre lineout.
