Toulon 18 Munster 29 (FT)
We leave you with Gerry Thornley’s match report. Stay tuned to irishtimes.com/sport for live updates of Leinster’s clash with Stade Francais which has just kicked off.
[ Jack Crowley leads Munster to famous Champions Cup win in ToulonOpens in new window ]
Relive the score that sealed the bonus point for Munster and put the result beyond doubt.
Full-time: Toulon 18 Munster 29
Toulon threaten with a brilliant attack from flank to flank, but a spill 5m from the line costs them a losing bonus point.
What a win for Munster. They re-ignite their Champions Cup campaign with a four-try display on the south coast. They survived an initial onslaught from their hosts, changed tack in attack to focus more on moving the ball than one-off carriers and didn’t look back.
Some moments of magic off the boot of Jack Crowley went a long way, but full credit to Tadhg Beirne et al on the way that forward pack stopped Toulon from running away with things early doors by regularly targeting the ball in contact.
Stay tuned for Gerry Thornley’s match report from the Stade Felix Mayol.
78 mins: Munster do earn a good platform with a scrum in the 22 but the frontrow buckles under pressure. Penalty Toulon.
Jack Crowley has been named player of the match. Two kick passes for scores, so fair enough, but I’d have been inclined to give it to a forward. Tadhg Beirne, perhaps, for the way he almost single-handedly kept Munster in it in that first 20 minutes when Toulon came flying out of the blocks.
73 mins: What a tackle. Toulon threaten to go the length of the pitch from their own 22 only for Daly to shut the door with a brutal tackle out wide. What’s more, he dislodges the ball as Munster gather and clear.
72 mins: Murray is on at scrumhalf and his first act is to try launch an attack down the short side. It nearly works, Daly breaking one tackle before passing inside, but Nankivell is shunted into touch.
68 mins: Munster are over, Coombes the man to power his way towards the line, but after a lengthy TMO check it’s ruled out for double movement. Toulon can clear with the penalty.
67 mins: It’s loose ball at the lineout and Toulon gather, but they’re quickly driven back over their own line. 5m scrum for Munster.
66 mins: Bad to worse for Toulon. Paia’aua sees a jackal threat and goes in straight via the side. Easy decision for Amashukeli, Crowley kicks into the corner.
64 mins: Changes for both sides. Dan Biggar is gone for Toulon, a quiet if not average display from him. Meanwhile O’Mahony is replaced by Alex Kendellen for Munster.
TRY CALVIN NASH!
Another absolute screamer. Casey boxes ahead, fairly innocuous enough. Nash rises well to claim, but Jaminet’s tackle attempt as he comes down is absolutely shocking. Nash coasts through as a result, scoring untouched under the posts to earn the bonus point score.
55 mins: TRY DU PREEZ! This game has had some incredible scores. Again, though, there’s a question of a knock from Biggar. After that, Nayacalevu throws an incredible offload, only bettered by Jaminet half a second later, beating two defenders to send du Preez over. Champagne rugby from both sides in this game.
Jaminet misses the touchline conversion.
47 mins: TRY TOM AHERN
Another beauty. Nash does spill forward on the ground but play continues. Eventually, Crowley sticks the head up inside the 22 for a crosskick. There is Tom Ahern in his usual spot on the wing, claiming in the air before powering over. What a score!
The TMO did call Amashukeli over to the screen to have a lock at the Nash spill. It looked clearcut but, bizarrely, the try stands. Crowley misses the touchline conversion.
43 mins: Bizarre passage of play. Crowley’s kick is charged down straight back to him, allowing him to break into space. Nankivell carries again, powering through a few tacklers to carry into the 22. Paia’aua gets in over the ball, however, to win the penalty.
41 mins: We’re back underway in the south of France. Biggar kicks long into the 22 where Munster are forced into a rushed clearance. Wainiqolo runs it back and his offload is loose, sending Toulon back into their own half.
Here is that try from Zebo. Brilliance all round.
Half-time: Toulon 13 Munster 17
Munster hold up the maul with the clock in the red. What a turnaround in the second 20 minutes of that game from Munster. They’ve held onto the ball, moved the heavy Toulon pack around beautifully and have scored two excellent tries through Nankivell and Zebo. They lead on the French south coast!
40 mins: The momentum swings in this game continue. Zebo spills a high ball, Casey gathers but Toulon pile in and win a holding-on penalty. Jaminet kicks into the corner...
TRY SIMON ZEBO
What a moment in this game. Playing under advantage inside the 22, Crowley puts boot to ball, chipping over the defence. It’s weighted beautifully, Zebo bouncing off one attempted block to gather in stride and score under the posts.
The score was made by the forwards. After running into brick walls for 20 minutes, they have figured out that tip-on passes and balls out the back are working beautifully against this Toulon pack that is getting off the line, but struggling to move laterally.
36 mins: Toulon are forced into a blood change, Coulon on for Tolofua temporarily in the backrow. It’s a first Champions Cup appearance for the 21-year-old Coulon.
34 mins: This is turning into a real tit-for-tat contest. Munster responded to Toulon’s try with a penalty, and now the hosts do the reverse, Tolofua getting in over a Scannell carry to get the decision. Jaminet lines up his second penalty of the day...and he puts Toulon back into the lead.
TRY ALEX NANKIVELL
Munster are level. It’s a truly brilliant, multi-phase attack. It starts with Nash opting to not give an inside ball, Toulon reading it well and smashing Daly, the would-be runner instead of Nash. He’s able to get over the gainline and from there Casey takes over. His speed of passing and choice of runners is brilliant, no more so than where his flat ball sends Hodnett into the 22. From there, the breakdown speed gives Toulon no time to set. Continually going backwards, they can’t do anything about the onslaught and eventually Nankivell crashes over from close range.
30 mins: Momentum for Munster. They follow up the penalty with a good defensive set, Alex Nankivell getting in over the ball to win a breakdown penalty. He’s been sneaky good in that area of the game since his arrival from Waikato during the summer.
27 mins: Toulon stray offside, giving Crowley a chance to hit back from the try almost immediately...
It’s a tricky angle, 40+ metres out to the left of the posts but he’s bang on. Munster are finally on the board.
WHAT A TRY
Toulon go from coast to coast. You’ll struggle to see a better score all season. Wainiqolo runs back a loose kick from Crowley and tears through Munster’s kick chase. From his own 22, his footwork and identification of space sees him beat multiple tacklers, dance into the Munster half before offloading to Paia’aua for a score under the posts.
Jaminet converts and all of a sudden Munster are well and truly up against it.
21 mins: More individual brilliance saves Munster. First Zebo comes flying out of the line to make a man-and-ball hit that slows the Toulon momentum, before a combination of Coombes and Hodnett dislodge the ball a few phases later. Toulon dominating the collision, but Munster’s targeting of the ball is offsetting that for now.
20 mins: A bit of a shocker from referee Amashukeli there. Priso tackles O’Mahony after charging down a kick and clearly doesn’t let him go before jackling. Still, the Georgian referee rewards him and gives Toulon the penalty.
19 mins: Toulon’s attack really is something to behold. It starts as Nankivell’s pass hits a defender instead of a fellow red jersey, and off the Fijians go in transition, Nayacalevu and Wainiqolo asking plenty of questions. Eventually, it’s one offload too many as Paia’aua throws an ambitious pass into touch.
It feels like it’s a matter of time. Munster are in touch still only thanks to last ditch moments of brilliance in defence paired with Toulon handling errors
15 mins: Munster shoot themselves in the foot. The pass to him from Zebo is very unsympathetic, fired towards his face from close range, but Beirne should have gathered cleanly. He doesn’t, dives on it as it goes back but is isolated as Toulon get in over the ball for the penalty. This should be the first score of the game...and it is. Jaminet slots it from a central angle 30m out.
14 mins: The Toulon fans scream for offside but no decision comes. Munster’s defence is good, driving the carriers back out of the 22 before Beirne again rips in the tackle. As solid as Munster have looked in defence so far today.
12 mins: Uh oh. Big chance for Toulon here. Jaminet launches a huge kick from 22 to 22. Crowley tries to gather but it looks like he might have lost it in the sun and he spills the ball out of play. Inside his own 22. 15m from the Munster line. Huge chance here.
11 mins: Another handling error. This one is a clanger, Biggar firing the ball to Isa who wasn’t expecting it, instead the pass clattering him in the head.
10 mins: Munster really are struggling to deal with Toulon’s centre pairing on first phase. This time Nayacalevu doesn’t spill and gets good go-forward ball. Fainga’anuku then kicks in behind but it’s too long, Nash dotting down in-goal for a drop-out.
8 mins: Now Munster spill in contact as Scannell can’t hang on running into a brick wall dressed in black shirts. That was a rare attacking opportunity for Munster as Nash did well to win the ball back in the air. It’s loose ball as it’s spun wide, but Nankivell cashes in on confusion in the Toulon line to break down the flank. It looks like Munster will have to feed off scraps like that on a day like today but on this occasion, Scannell spills to kill the attack.
7 mins: What is going on with Toulon’s handling? They are dominating the collision but keep spilling it, this time Isa guilty of fumbling in contact.
6 mins: One step forward, two back for Munster. Another good defensive set plus poor Toulon handling sees Nayacalevu spill in contact. Crowley looks to kick downfield on turnover ball but overcooks it, launching the kick out on the full. Back we go for the lineout inside Munster territory.
5 mins: That’s better defensively from Munster. Beirne rips it from Nayacalevu in the tackle before Ryan spots a loose ball out of the breakdown and wins it back.
4 mins: Munster are lucky. For three carries off the lineout, they have no answer for Toulon’s physicality, knocked back phase after phase. Halagahu goes very close with the latest carry, and a last-ditch jackal forces a spill on the floor and a turnover inches from the line.
2 mins: Initially, it’s good work in attack from Munster, getting over the gainline on first phase. However, once the Toulon line gets set, they show more physicality collision after collision and knock Munster back. Crowley loses it in contact before Ahern strays offside. Jaminet kicks the penalty into the 22.
1 min: Right then, here we go. The customary revving up of the crowd by a bloke on the mic is done. Jack Crowley has the ball in his hand. Nika Amashukeli blows his whistle, Crowley launches it long into the 22 and we’re underway.
Jaminet gathers, Toulon work a kick clear but it finds touch only just outside the 22. Good early attacking opportunity for Munster.
The match ball has just been delivered into the ground by a bloke dressed in army gear flying in via parachute. As you do...
Toulon has a reputation as one of the more hostile French grounds to visit. It’s not difficult to see why.
“The style of rugby, the detail, the work-rate that’s required to play here is nothing that I’ve known before. It was like: ‘Okay this is the standard so I need to really focus on that and get up to speed’. But the lads and the coaching staff have been incredible to put in time with me and have the patience to explain what is required and then giving you the confidence to go out there and do it.”
— Antoine Frisch
Our man in Toulon, Gerry Thornley, sat down with Antoine Frisch during the week for an interview. Frisch’s story is a fascinating one, featuring bilingualism and a desire to play for Ireland despite his French and English background.
Having played for both Rouen in France and Bristol in the Premiership, Frisch offers some fascinating insight into the difference between playing elsewhere and for an Irish province.
He is also adamant that, despite his many options, his ambition has always been to pull on a green jersey.
Here is how today’s home side lines up.
Straight away, that backline stands out. Former Wales international Dan Biggar is at 10, Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu is at 13, while All Black Leicester Fainga’anuku is at wing. Alongside him is Fiji international and sevens Olympic gold medallist Jiuta Wainiqolo and France international Melvyn Jaminet, who has impressed for Toulon since his move from Toulouse.
Up front, the two Tolofuas, Dave Ribbans, Danny Priso (formerly of the La Rochelle parish) and Facundo Isa in the backrow all pack plenty of punch.
Let’s look at the team news, starting with Munster.
What a difference a few big names coming off the injury list can make. Peter O’Mahony is finally back in the backrow, meaning Tom Ahern shifts into the secondrow for the first time in weeks. Hooker Niall Scannell and centre Alex Nankivell return from injury as well, as does Joey Carbery who is on the bench. Jack Crowley starts at outhalf in a halfback pairing also featuring Craig Casey.
Tadhg Beirne captains the side from lock.
Munster drew with Bayonne in round one before capitulating to defeat away to Exeter at Sandy Park in the two rounds that took place before Christmas. That leaves them fourth of six teams in pool three, albeit they are level on points with Bayonne and only one point ahead of Toulon - the two teams behind them.
Being bottom of the pool illustrates Toulon’s tough time of it in this competition so far this season. They lost at home to Exeter in dramatic fashion in round one, Henry Slade kicking a last minute conversion to snatch the result, before falling to a. resurgent Northampton away in round two.
Put simply, both sides are desperate for a win today, ideally with a bonus point. We’re not quite in ‘lose and you’re out territory’, given so many teams do qualify for the round of 16, but we’re not far off.
Hello all and welcome to another round of Champions Cup rugby.
Nathan Johns here with you for the afternoon to guide you through two of the four games involving Irish provinces as round three of the competition gets underway. First up, the action is from the south of France, specifically the Stade Felix Mayol, where Munster go searching for a much-needed win against a Toulon side that also needs a dramatic uptick in fortunes.
