Munster’s hopes of profitable a 3rd Investec Champions Cup got here to an finish after a 47-29 quarter-final defeat to Bordeaux at Stade Chaban-Delmas.
Having knocked out La Rochelle within the spherical of 16 with a dramatic 25-24 victory, the Irish province – winners in 2006 and 2008 – had been unable to repeat the trick.
Bordeaux, who eradicated Ulster to advance to the final eight, ran in six tries and now face Toulon or defending champions Toulouse as they try to achieve the ultimate for the primary time.
Munster made the worst potential begin when Damian Penaud went over for Bordeaux within the fifth minute, though Matthieu Jalibert struck a put up with the conversion.
It doing so, Penaud broke the report for the variety of tries in a Champions Cup marketing campaign, his twelfth seeing him surpass Chris Ashton’s tally of 11 in 2017.
Irish fly-half Jack Crowley, who this week signed a two-year contract extension with Munster to finish hypothesis over a transfer to Leicester, kicked a penalty shortly afterwards.
Jalibert responded with a penalty of his personal earlier than Bordeaux added an additional two tries by the twenty fourth minute, the France worldwide changing scores from Maxime Lucu and Pete Samu, the spectacular Penaud enjoying an enormous half in each.
Relentless Bordeaux strain resulted in a penalty, which Jalibert put broad, however he did convert a fourth strive by the French facet from Jon Echegaray.
Munster completed the half strongly and so they bought a strive simply earlier than the break by Alex Nankivell.
The New Zealand-born centre, cleared to play after a profitable enchantment in opposition to his two-game ban for his crimson card in opposition to Connacht within the United Rugby Championship final month, went over from shut vary with Crowley including the extras.
After Jalibert missed a penalty, Munster lowered the arrears when Andrew Smith crossed, though Crowley was unable so as to add the extras.
Jalibert kicked two penalties both facet of a Maxime Lamothe strive earlier than Munster had been awarded a penalty strive for a deliberate knock on after which Smith claimed his second strive of the sport, Crowley changing.
Bordeaux had Cyril Cazeaux despatched off late on however there was nonetheless time for Louis Bielle-Biarrey to attain, which Lucu transformed.
