Toulouse wins penalty shootout in Dublin
MATCH REPORT: french giants Toulouse advanced to the semifinals of the European Cup, following a dramatic penalty shootout with Munster in Dublin on Saturday.
With the scores level 24-all at the end of regulation time and still after 20 minutes extra time, the teams went into a penalty shootout.
Toulouse won that four-two to advance to the next round of play-offs.
The French club will face Leinster next weekend after the Irish province overcame the Tigers 23-14 later in the day.
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Misses from Munster’s Ben Healy and Conor Murray proved crucial, as Toulouse’s Thomas Ramos, Antoine Dupont (two) and Romain Ntamack made no mistake with their efforts.
Munster had led with five minutes to play thanks to tries from Alex Kendellen, Keith Earls and Mike Haley, in addition to a Joey Carbery penalty, but Toulouse, who had crossed through Romain Ntamack and Matthis Lebel (two), notched a three-pointer through Ramos to send the game into the additional period.
Munster drew first blood as flank Kendellen squeezed over after a slick lineout move on nine minutes, but Toulouse were level moments later when flyhalf Ntamack planted down following a break from full-back Ramos.
The two sides wrestled for control over the next quarter of an hour, but Toulouse’s dominant scrum began to provide the visitors with an attacking platform, and they capitalised on that on 26 minutes as they gained forward momentum before sending wing Lebel over in the corner.
Carbery was off target with a penalty on 34 minutes as the Irish province attempted to reduce the deficit, but after wing Earls dotted down out wide in the final moments of the half, the flyhalf drew his side level with an excellent conversion.
Despite another Carbery penalty drifting wide early in the second half, Munster would take the lead on 44 minutes as centre Chris Farrell scythed through the Toulouse defence and teed up fullback Haley to squirm over.
Toulouse lock Rory Arnold was sin-binned on 50 minutes for a dangerous tackle on Munster wing Simon Zebo and following more ill-discipline from the French side over the minutes that followed, Carbery slotted his first penalty of the game.
They were the only points scored with Toulouse down to 14 men and once they were back to their full complement, the visitors grabbed a third try as Lebel surged through midfield and produced an outrageous sidestep to beat the last man and dive over on 67 minutes.
A Ramos penalty then left the scores at 24-all on 75 minutes and Munster replacement flyhalf Ben Healy was unable to hand his side victory with a penalty attempt from inside his own half with the clock in the red, sending the game to extra time.
The additional 20 minutes offered little to separate the two sides, with Ramos and Healy both unsuccessful with drop-goal attempts, and with both teams having scored the same number of tries, a place kick competition was required.
And it would ultimately be heartbreak for Munster, as Murray and Healy dragged their efforts wide and Toulouse’s kickers held their nerve to book their place in the last four.
The scorers
For Munster
Tries: Kendellen, Earls, Haley
Cons: Carbery 3
Pen: Carbery
Penalty shootout kickers: Murray, Carbery
For Toulouse
Tries: Ntamack, Lebel 2
Cons: Ramos 3
Pen: Ramos
Penalty shootout kickers: Dupont 2, Ramos, Ntamack
Yellow card: Rory Arnold (Toulouse, 50 - dangerous tackle)
Teams
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Chris Farrell, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Joey Carbery, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Peter O’Mahony (captain), 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Josh Wycherley.
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 John Ryan, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Thomas Ahern, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Jack Daly.
Toulouse: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Dimitri Delibes, 13 Pierre Fouyssac, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Matthis Lebel, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Francois Cros, 7 Thibaud Flament, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand (captain), 1 Rodrigue Neti.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Cyril Baille, 18 David Ainu’u, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Selevasio Tolofua, 21 Anthony Jelonch, 22 Baptiste Germain, 23 Maxime Médard.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Jack Makepeace (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
Source: @ChampionsCup