Champions Cup: Profligate Exeter Chiefs struggle to victory over battling Munster

Exeter Chiefs may rue their inability to convert a number of excellent chances as a battling Munster limited their opponents’ advantage to 13-8 going into the second leg of their Champions Cup tie.

The Irishmen have a number of injuries to contend with and it showed as they struggled to contain the English side, but they showed tremendous heart throughout.

Rob Baxter’s men did touch down twice in the first half via Stuart Hogg and Jacques Vermeulen, but they had several other opportunities to increase that buffer.

Munster’s goal line defence was incredible, however, and forced the Chiefs into errors in the 22. It was still 13-3 in Exeter’s favour going into the final 15 minutes – Stuart Hogg and Ben Healy trading three-pointers – but the visitors scored a crucial try to keep the tie in the balance.

With the hosts down to 13 men following yellow cards for Olly Woodburn and Patrick Schickerling, Shane Daly crossed the whitewash to reduce the arrears and give the Limerick outfit plenty of hope going back to Thomond Park next week.

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Exeter were without injured England internationals Jack Nowell, Ollie Devoto, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jonny Hill, but welcomed back centre Henry Slade, prop Harry Williams and number eight Sam Simmonds to the starting line-up.

Munster’s injury troubles saw skipper Peter O’Mahony and fly-half Joey Carbery sidelined, with Simon Zebo, Tadhg Beirne and Gavin Coombes also out, testing resources ahead of the team’s first European Cup meeting since 2019.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was among the crowd, and he saw Munster immediately on the back-foot as Exeter hit them with a brilliant sixth-minute try.

Slade was prominent, but it was wing Tom O’Flaherty’s decisive angle of attack that unlocked Munster’s defence, and Hogg sprinted over to give the Chiefs a dream start.

Exeter continued to dominate in terms of possession and territory, and they almost claimed a second try midway through the half when skipper Jack Yeandle almost burrowed his way over.

The home side continued pressing, yet they had no further reward as a combination of poor handling and vigorous Munster tackling denied them a healthier advantage.

But Exeter were finally rewarded two minutes before the interval as they made a temporary one-man advantage count.

Munster replacement Jack O’Sullivan, who replaced number eight Alex Kendellen, was yellow-carded following a technical infringement, and Vermeulen crashed over from close range for the Chiefs’ second try.

Simmonds missed the conversion, yet the 2020 European champions were full value for their lead, having dominated most areas.

Exeter’s relentless approach continued immediately after the break, and it was all hands to the pump for Munster in defence, while their scrum came under increasing pressure.

But the Chiefs were also their own enemies, conceding penalties in threatening positions and letting Munster off the hook.

And with Munster’s Ireland international scrum-half Conor Murray a growing influence, the visitors opened their account through a Healy penalty after 57 minutes.

They were the only points of a tight third quarter, with Exeter then losing Woodburn, who was yellow-carded following an arm to the head of a Munster player, and Schickerling following foul play near his own line.

Exeter responded to that double setback superbly, though, when Hogg dropped a goal – the first of his career – from just inside Munster’s half and restored a 10-point gap.

But it did not last long, as Munster broke upfield and Daly made the most of Exeter’s numerical disadvantage to touch down with 12 minutes left.

Exeter defended magnificently with Woodburn and Schickerling off, and they almost added a third try during the dying seconds, but Woodburn knocked on after making a clean break.

Racing 92 overcome Parisian rivals Stade Francais

Racing 92 proved too strong for their city rivals Stade Francais, emerging with a 22-9 victory in Paris.

The visitors controlled much of the first half, moving into a 12-0 lead thanks to four penalties from Nolann Le Garrec, before a pair of Joris Segonds three-pointers reduced the deficit.

Racing maintained their stranglehold on the encounter in the second period and moved 19-6 ahead thanks to Gael Fickou’s converted try.

They would hold that 13-point buffer until the end after another Champions Cup red card for Stade’s Tolu Latu as Nicolas Sanchez and Le Garrec traded late penalties.

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