Three of the worst

Munster's final pool games in France

November, 1995

Castres 19, Munster 12

Stade Antoine Beguere

Based on the anecdotal evidence of several friends and family of the Munster players this was an experience none are likely to forget. The atmosphere resembled a bear-pit with one or two players suspecting that a pitch invasion was a possibility for most of the afternoon.

The game was played in Mazamet, 20 kilometres from Castres, in a stadium that predates the French club’s current home ground of Stade Pierre Antoine. Munster’s place - kicker and left wing Kenny Smith - he kicked four penalties – won’t forget the deathly hush that descended on the ground as he prepared to take a kick only to be replaced by a cacophony of howling as he took his first step towards the ball.

One spectator apparently had a foghorn attached to a foot pump and gleefully awaited Smith stepping up to take a place-kick so that he could try to scare the living daylights out of the Garryowen man.

Shannon’s Pat Murray led Munster that day while the pack included several players who would go on to become icons in the red jersey.

The home side grabbed a try from centre Nicolas Combes while fullback Laurent Labit kicked four penalties and a conversion.

CASTRES: L Bait; C Savy, N Combes, J-M Aue, P Garrigues; F Rui, F Seguier (capt); L Toussaint, C Urios, T Lafforgue; T Bourdet, JF Gourragne; G Pages, N Hallinger, A Cigagna.

MUNSTER: P Murray (capt); R Wallace, S McCahill, D Larkin, K Smith; P Burke, D O’Mahony; J Fitzgerald, T Kingston, P Clohessy; P O’Connor, G Fulcher; M Galwey, D Corkery, A Foley.

Attendance: 6,500.

November 1996

Toulouse 60, Munster 19

Stade Les Septs Deniers

This match is perhaps most memorable from a Munster perspective for the mid-game exhortation from captain Mick Galwey as the team huddled behind their posts; not for the first time on a difficult afternoon for the Irish province.

Galwey explained: “After the sixth try I got the lads around under the posts and made a bit of speech.

‘For ****’s sake lads, can we at least try and keep it under 50 points because we have got to go home and face the crowd after this?’ We weren’t fit enough, hard enough, cute or experienced enough. The atmosphere out there was even more intimidating than Parc des Princes.”

The last statement refers to the fact that Ireland never won a game at the Paris venue. In trying to put this match and indeed pool in context it’s staggering to recall that Wasps put 77 points on Toulouse in a previous match at Loftus Road and Munster beat the London club.

The Irish province needed a draw to qualify. Munster, coached by Jerry Holland, were 17-3 down after 13 minutes but only 17-9 down at the interval before the French side cut loose.

Centre Michel Marfaing scored a hat-trick of tries, wing Emile Ntamack and prop Christian Califano two each, while there was one apiece for fullback Stephane Ougier and wing David Berty. David Corkery managed a consolation try while Killian Keane, who had a fine game, kicked four penalties and a conversion. Munster have repaid Toulouse in spades since.

TOULOUSE: S Ougier; E N’tamack (capt), M Marfaing, T Castaignede, D Berty; C Deylaud, J Cazalbou; C Califano, P Lassere, J-L Jordana; H Miorin, F Belot; D Lacroix, R Sonnes, S Dispagne.

MUNSTER: P Murray; R Wallace, B Walsh, S McCahill, D Crotty; K Keane, S McIvor; J Fitzgerald, T Kingston, N Healy; M Galwey (capt), G Fulcher; A Foley, D Corkery, B Cronin.

Attendance: 14,000

January 2002

Castres Olympique 21, Munster 13

Stade Pierre Antoine

While Munster’s defeat cost them the prospect of a home quarter-final tie the pain was nothing like that felt by tighthead prop Peter Clohessy who was bitten – drawing blood – during the game by Castres number eight Ismael Lassissi. The bite marks were clearly discernible and Munster cited the Ivory Coast international in the aftermath.

Lassissi was initially given a one-year ban following a disciplinary hearing but that was rescinded in time for him to come on as a second half replacement in the quarter-final two weeks later, a match that Castres won 22-21 against a heavily fancied Montferrand side.

But back to Stade Pierre Antoine and Munster trailed 16-13 going into injury time at the end of the match, a state of affairs that would have sufficed to win the pool and give them a home quarter-final tie on the basis of a bonus point. According to Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley’s match report, the Munster players didn’t fully appreciate the situation and a couple of errors allowed the home side field position from which replacement Olivier Sarramea scored the crucial try in the 86th minute that denied the visitors the bonus point.

The defeat allowed Castres instead to top the pool but the Irish province would have their revenge in the semi-final beating the French side 25-17 at Stade de La Mediterranee. Prior to that, they had produced a magnificent performance to beat Stade Francais in Paris in the quarters. The campaign ended in heartbreak as Munster lost the final in Cardiff to the Leicester Tigers, 15-9 with Neil Back’s helping hand pivotal to the outcome.

CASTRES: R Teulet; U Mola, E Artiguste, N Berryman, S Longstaff; G Townsend, A Albouy; M Reggirado, R Vigneaux, B Moyle; N Spanghero, C Fernandez-Lobbe; A Costes, I Lassissi, R Froment.

MUNSTER: D Crotty, J Kelly, M Mullins, J Holland, A Horgan; R O’Gara, M Prendergast; M Horan, F Sheahan, P Clohessy; M Galwey, M O’Driscoll; J Williams, A Quinlan, A Foley.

Attendance: 9,250