Munster 21-21 Racing 92: European giants draw Champions Cup clash
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 23/11/19 8:09pm
Munster and Racing 92 were forced to share the points at Thomond Park in Champions Cup Pool 4 on Saturday, after playing out a thrilling 21-21 draw.
Racing played some stunning rugby in the first period, with Finn Russell and Teddy Thomas conjuring up superb tries, while Juan Imhoff added a third Racing try in the second half after more enterprising play from Russell.
Keith Earls and Andrew Conway scored tries for Munster, while out-half JJ Hanrahan kicked three penalties and a superb touchline conversion to level things, but he missed a close-range drop-goal attempt in the final minute.
The result was Munster's first European Cup draw at Thomond Park in their history, with the province still having lost just four times at home over the past 24 years.
Munster hit the front in the contest on eight minutes, when Hanrahan kicked over a penalty after Antonie Claassen had pulled Munster scrum-half Conor Murray back at a ruck.
The game started at a frantic pace and continued in helter-skelter fashion, with Russell clipping the ball through the legs of Rory Scannell, before collecting it and diving over for the opening try on 19 minutes in a fantastic bit of skill.
A scrum penalty against Racing for Cedate Gomes Sa not driving straight allowed Hanrahan to narrow the Racing lead to a single point, but the Parisians were soon over again.
Just shy of the half-hour mark, wing Thomas displayed fantastic pace and skill to break down the right, chip over the Munster covering defence and regather to saunter in for a try.
The Munster response was impressive and, after turning down two kickable shots at goal, second-row Tadhg Beirne was held up, before Hanrahan knocked on just short of the try-line in the act of attempting to ground the ball.
Munster's pressure was eventually rewarded when Earls raced over for a try in the final minute of the half, showing too much pace for ex-Munster man Simon Zebo and diving over. When Hanrahan's conversion slipped wide, Racing led 14-11 at the break.
Munster came out and levelled the contest six minutes into the second period when Racing were penalised for failing to roll away deep in their half - their seventh penalty of the encounter - allowing Hanrahan to square things up off the tee from close range.
Barely two minutes later, Racing responded instantly again, when Russell targeted injured Munster prop Jeremy Loughman in the defensive line, slipped through and then found Imhoff on his inside for Racing's third try.
On 54 minutes, scrum-half Teddy Iribaren missed a chance to take Racing's lead beyond a score when he struck wide off the tee after Munster's Haley failed to release after being tackled.
Munster reacted, having been pinned inside their half for the majority of the second period, and ultimately carved out a try for Conway in the corner with five minutes remaining after incessant pressure.
Hanrahan's outstanding touchline conversion levelled the match, before a monster Earls clearance kick following the restart put play back in the Racing 22.
When the French side coughed up the ball into touch, Munster had a final shot to win the game, but although the set-up was perfect, Hanrahan slashed his close-range drop-goal attempt wide from no more than 20 metres inside the final minute.
