MUNSTER 22-10 RACING
In the end, Munster knew they needed to win by 11 points to get what they wanted. They went one better.
Munster will get a home quarter final in the Champions Cup, later this year, and they will host a semi-final at the Aviva Stadium if they can get there. Their second seed status was secured by a quite brilliant Andrew Conway assist for an Ian Keatley try.
The game was scoreless for over half an hour as Racing fulfilled their vow to make a fist of this dead rubber. Indeed, Maxime Machenaud could have put the French champions 3-0 up but missed a relatively simple penalty.
Munster then heaved back and went close through Niall Scannell, Tommy O’Donnell and Conor Murray, who was done wrong by the TMO. CJ Stander’s clean break rallied spirits, soon after that Murray call, and Simon Zebo wriggled over for is 51st Munster try.
Tyler Bleyendaal converted before Machenaud got is side off the mark with a penalty to leave it 7-3 at the break.
Bleyendaal put the hosts 10-3 up after the break before pressure sucked in Racing numbers and Ronan O’Mahony’s low drive in the corner got Munster’s second try.
Munster pressed for a third but a poor Bleyendaal pass and a Zebo knock-on cost them 60 yards and possession. Racing took advantage when Henry Chavancy muscled over and Machenaud converted. 17-10 with 20 minutes to go. The game was still up for grabs.
Racing pressed again and Munster had to soak up some pressure but a superb turnover from John Ryan and Dave Kilcoyne flipped the switch. Munster pounded away for seven minutes before a Bleyendaal skip pass eventually found its way to Conway.
There was lots to do but Conway did it. He took his man down the outside and sucked in three defenders before passing to Ian Keatley for a simple, beautiful try.
That try, unconverted as it was, meant Munster overtook Saracens to get that coveted second seeding.
All that was left was for CJ Stander to get his now customary man of the match award.
MOTM match announced as @CJStander
Ripples of laughter amid the cheering at Thomond Park.
"Yerra, sure we KNOW THAT!" cries one man— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 21, 2017
Some going, by each and every Munster man.
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