Munster Rugby

On a freezing afternoon in Toulouse, they went toe to toe with one of the leading contenders for the Heineken Champions Cup and came up just short. They'll find ...

Beirne almost got over and although they couldn’t exploit a big overlap on the left, they were playing with advantage and the Scotland-bound out-half made it 16-14. The scrum-half almost beat Mallia, who grounded him with an ankle tap, but he got to his feet and surged to the 5m line. With Malakai Fekitoa on for the injured Mike Haley and Jack Crowley operating at full-back, their attack began to function off a dominant scrum and when Toulouse went offside, Gavin Coombes tapped the penalty and carried hard. They will now face the Sharks in Durban for their last-16 tie. Carbery missed the conversion but narrowed the gap to three points with a penalty from in front after Ryan won a scrum penalty and Munster launched their best attack of the day to force their hosts offside. On a freezing afternoon in Toulouse, they went toe to toe with one of the leading contenders for the Heineken Champions Cup and came up just short.

Munster Rugby's Niall Scannell is tackled by Jack Willis,of Toulouse, during the Heineken Champions Cup Pool B fixture at Stade Ernest Wallon on Sunday ...

Munster then hit the front eight minutes into the second half after scoring a spectacular team try. However, the two-time European Cup winners dug in to haul themselves back into contention before half-time. It looked like a harsh call. Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Jack O’Sullivan, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Ben Healy, Malakai Fekitoa. Haley was replaced by New Zealand centre Malakai Fekitoa. Munster looked to be on ropes in a hugely physical opening to the game.

Munster will be away from home in the last 16 of the Heineken Champions Cup after they fell to a late 20-16 defeat against Toulouse.

Carbery could not add the extras but hit the target with a penalty four minutes before the break to make it 11-8 at the interval. The lead changed hands on four occasions during the second period as Beirne and Healy put Munster in front, but Jaminet replied on each occasion as he finished with a 15-point haul. Graham Rowntree's men twice led during the second half thanks to a Tadhg Beirne try and a penalty from replacement Ben Healy penalty, but two late penalties from Melvyn Jaminet denied them victory.

Munster faced off against Toulouse in the Champions Cup today, and during the game they scored one of their best ever European tries.

“Where I am now in my life, I’ve great friends, I’m part of a great club, a great community. It’s an odd one but it’s incredibly heartening to know the move at the start was worth what’s happening now. “Jeez, if you had told me when I was 21 that nine years later I’d be sitting in Ireland…