Munster's Heineken Champions Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start as an Antoine Dupont-inspired Toulouse emerged victorious from the Thomond Park fog.
Joey Carbery’s 10th-minute try gave Munster a deserved lead after a bright opening, but they failed to build on that and allowed the five-time winners back into the contest through unforced errors and ill-discipline.
Mattis Lebel scored his third try and two games against Munster as a powerful and physical Toulouse side capitalised on their first entry into the opposition 22, and although a late Carbery penalty made it 10-10 at the interval, the hosts were hit by a sucker-punch after the restart as Lucas Tauzin scored with his first touch.
Munster dug in and just five points still separated the teams late on, but they were unable to find a late winner in the face of some tenacious Toulouse defending, while Dupont’s game management in testing conditions helped keep their noses in front, although the scrum-half was sin-binned late on for a deliberate knock-on.
It was an another encouraging display by Graham Rowntree’s men, who entered this game on the back of a three-game winning streak, but they were guilty of forcing things at times and Toulouse’s staunch defending kept them at bay.
Munster had been knocked out of Europe by Toulouse in the past two seasons so they had a point to prove at a biting cold Thomond Park.
They warmed the 21,884-strong crowd up by flying out of the traps, winning an early scrum penalty, dominating the breakdown and getting over the gain line with regularity as their forwards gave Carbery a great attacking platform.
The out-half confidently pulled the strings, carrying to the line and mixing his game up nicely to keep Toulouse on their toes.
Munster’s only frustration from such a positive first quarter was they only had seven points to show for their efforts.
Carbery saw a penalty come back off the post and when presented with another chance after Toulouse again infringed at the breakdown, he kicked to the corner.
The Munster forwards inched towards the tryline before Craig Casey spotted an overlap down the left and sent half-back partner Carbery over for a try which he converted.
Munster kicked intelligently through the worsening fog to pin Toulouse inside their own half but the French giants struck off their first attacking opportunity on 22 minutes.
A scrum penalty gifted them access to the Munster 22 and, playing advantage after their maul was illegally sacked, they produced a string of precise passes to go from right to left, with Lebel finishing in the corner despite Shane Daly’s efforts.
Thomas Ramos converted and he put Toulouse in front seven minutes later when Jean Kleyn was penalised for not releasing.
The momentum had swung but Munster did at least have the final say of the half, Carbery drawing them level from the tee after Alban Placines failed to roll away from a ruck.
However, Munster found themselves behind again within two minutes of the restart. A couple of handling errors gave Toulouse a close-range lineout and they made it count, Julien Marchand breaking off a maul to feed Dupont, who gave replacement Tauzin a simple finish with his first touch. Ramos failed to add the extras.
FT: Munster 13-18 Toulouse
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) December 11, 2022
At a critical juncture Munster's attack broke down, and it would result in Toulouse decisively putting two scores between the sides
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Munster tried to immediately respond but their lineout drive was sacked short of the tryline, and a rising penalty and error count put them under further pressure.
Toulouse, though, were unable to extend their lead. Romain Ntamack was off target with an attempted drop-goal while a Ramos penalty dropped short of the crossbar.
That set up a tense finish but not even the introduction of fit-again Keith Earls could inspire Munster to a late flourish.
Moments after leaving the Toulouse 22 empty-handed, a ruck penalty gave Ramos another chance to extend the visitors’ lead, and he was on this target this time to make it 18-10 with nine minutes remaining.
Carbery quickly cut the gap but Munster were unable to muster a late winner as 14-man Toulouse held on.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O'Mahony (capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Paddy Patterson for Casey (51), Jack Crowley for Rory Scannell (51), Jack O'Donoghue for Kleyn (51), Diarmuid Barron for Niall Scannell (57), Josh Wycherley for Loughman (57), Roman Salanoa for Ryan (57), Alex Kendellen for Hodnett (61), Keith Earls for Daly (68).
Toulouse: Thomas Ramos; Ange Capuozzo, Dimitri Delibes, Pita Ahki, Matthis Lebel; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Rodrigue Neti, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri; Richie Arnold, Emmanuel Meafou; Anthony Jelonch, Alban Placines, Alexandre Roumat.
Replacements: Thibaud Flament for Roumat (14), Lucas Tauzin for Capuozzo (ht), Jack Willis for Placines (49), Peato Mauvaka for Marchand (54), Cyril Baille for Neti (54), Charlie Faumuina for Aldegheri (57).
Referee: Christophe Ridley (RFU).
