Champions Cup: Toulouse show class to beat Munster while Saracens edge past battling Edinburgh

Planet Rugby

Munster produced a spirited display but it was not enough to overcome 2021 champions Toulouse, who came away from Thomond Park with an 18-13 triumph.

The Irish province played with physicality and intent and deservedly went ahead when Joey Carbery touched down.

Toulouse responded, however, when Matthis Lebel crossed the whitewash to level matters before Thomas Ramos and Carbery traded penalties late in the first half.

Munster continued to battle in the second period but it was the French outfit that took control when Lucas Tauzin went over.

Ramos’ second three-pointer would seal the victory for the visitors, although Graham Rowntree’s men were rewarded for their efforts with a losing bonus-point as Carbery was once again successful off the tee.

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Carbery hit the post with an initial 39-metre place-kick, but Munster had an encouraging start which saw them earn a scrum penalty and get big ball carrier Gavin Coombes involved.

Nice variety off a close-in maul saw Craig Casey feed his half-back partner Carbery for a neatly-taken try, which he converted himself for 7-0.

A cagey kicking battle was developing before Toulouse, advancing from a scrum penalty, fired their first shot in anger.

Pouncing after a powerful maul, quick hands from their backs set up Ramos to swing the ball wide and winger Lebel expertly squeezed over in the left corner. Ramos levelled impressively from the tee.

Calvin Nash intercepted to thwart a Antoine Dupont-led break, but Ramos soon rewarded Dorian Aldegheri’s breakdown efforts to move Toulouse ahead at 10-7.

Carbery closed out the first half with an equalising kick, punishing Alban Placines for not rolling away.

The French giants responded within two minutes of the restart. Antoine Frisch conceded a lineout near the home line, the Toulouse maul gained a penalty and Dupont got the ball away for Tauzin to cross in the right corner.

A Munster drive was then swallowed up – Anthony Jelonch getting the defensive plaudits – and Toulouse held onto the momentum courtesy of a counter ruck and a scrum penalty.

Despite Toulouse exerting more control now, Romain Ntamack missed a drop goal and a Ramos penalty fell short.

It was the ice-cool Ramos who silenced the home crowd again. He followed up his own kick to win a turnover penalty which he turned into three points.

Although Carbery cancelled out that kick in the 74th minute, Munster’s handling let them down late on. Toulouse kept them at arm’s length, even with Dupont seeing yellow for a deliberate knock-on.

Saracens overcome brave Edinburgh

Saracens returned to the top table of European rugby with a hard-fought 30-26 Heineken Champions Cup win over Edinburgh at a freezing StoneX Stadium.

After missing two years of the competition through suspension, the three-time winners produced a rusty performance and it was not until late on that they were able to subdue a spirited Edinburgh.

Elliot Daly, Alex Lewington, Ben Earl and Tom Woolstencroft scored Saracens’ tries, with Owen Farrell adding two conversions and two penalties.

Luan de Bruin and Wes Goosen touched down for Edinburgh, with Emiliano Boffelli converting both tries and kicking four penalties.

Edinburgh took a fifth-minute lead when prop De Bruin forced his way over from close range but the hosts’ response was quick.

A speculative cross-field chip from Farrell was collected by Daly, who brushed aside a weak tackling attempt from Duhan van der Merwe to score. Farrell converted from the touchline to leave the scores level at the end of an evenly-contested first quarter.

Farrell missed a chance to put Saracens in front as his 45-metre penalty sailed wide with Boffelli then illustrating how it should be done by succeeding with a kick from similar range.

The Scottish side suffered a blow when try-scorer De Bruin was forced to leave the field with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by WP Nel but Edinburgh overcame that setback to extend their lead with another penalty from Boffelli.

From the restart, Edinburgh infringed for their opponents to capitalise when Earl finished off an unstoppable driving line-out.

Farrell’s conversion attempt hit a post before Boffelli kicked his third penalty to leave the visitors with a 16-12 interval lead.

Edinburgh centre Mark Bennett failed an HIA so was unable to return for the start of the second half and the away side soon suffered another blow when they conceded a third try.

A superbly-judged kick ahead from Daly saw Lewington collect and race over in the corner, although Farrell was unable to add the extras as he missed his third kick of the afternoon.

In contrast, Boffelli was on fire with his kicking and succeeded with his fourth penalty to put Edinburgh back in front.

Saracens were continually on the wrong side of Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli, who regularly penalised them at the breakdown and going into the final quarter, they were still trailing 19-17.

A repeat of last season’s European Challenge Cup victory at the StoneX looked a distinct possibility for Edinburgh but Farrell found his kicking boots to succeed with two penalties in quick succession.

The visitors then missed a gilt-edged chance to put Saracens back under pressure with time running out.

Replacement Damien Hoyland intercepted the ball on the halfway line but Daly got back to make his opponent turn inside. Hoyland dithered before passing, with the ball being moved wide where James Lang was held up over the line.

Edinburgh were crestfallen at their failure to score and were made to pay when Woolstencroft scored Saracens’ bonus-point try, with visiting hooker Stuart McNally sin-binned for a deliberate off-side.

Edinburgh would not lie down, though, and a break from Blair Kinghorn created a try for Goosen before Nel was yellow-carded for a tip tackle, but they were still able to hang on to a deserved bonus-point.

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