Match Pages - Match Information

Full time

Munster Rugby

17 - 17

14 - 3

Bayonne

9th December 2023
KO: 17:30
Thomond Park , Limerick
Att: 18,908
Investec Champions Cup

Current standing

Head to head

Match Pages - Head to Head

Munster Rugby		Bayonne
0	Wins	0
0	Losses	0
1	Draws	1

Last time

Recent form

Season so far

Match Page - Season so far

Tries

Munster Rugby

Bayonne

Metres Gained

2025

Munster Rugby

1598

Bayonne

Passes Completed

937

Munster Rugby

585

Bayonne

Tackles Made

689

Munster Rugby

597

Bayonne

Penalties Conceded

Munster Rugby

Bayonne

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Team News | Munster Side To Face Bayonne

December 8, 2023 11:59 am By The Editor

Shay McCarthy starts on his Champions Cup debut. Inpho

The Munster team has been named for Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup opener against Bayonne at Thomond Park (5.30pm).

Match tickets are available here.

Tadhg Beirne captains the side with six changes to the starting XV from last week’s win over Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park.

There are three Academy players in the squad with first year winger Shay McCarthy starting on his Champions Cup debut.

Rory Scannell, Conor Murray, Scott Buckley, John Ryan and Fineen Wycherley also come into the side.

Calvin Nash starts at full-back for Munster for the first time, Tom Ahern makes his first Champions Cup start and Alex Nankivell makes his Champions Cup debut.

Full-back Nash is joined in the back three by wingers McCarthy and Seán O’Brien, who makes his first Champions Cup appearance for Munster.

Scannell and Nankivell start together in midfield with Murray and Jack Crowley in the half-backs.

Jeremy Loughman, Buckley and John Ryan pack down in the front row with Wycherley and captain Beirne in the engine room.

Ahern, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes start together in the back row for the third game in succession.

Former Academy hooker Eoghan Clarke, who recently rejoined the province on a short-term contract, is among the replacements and is in line to make his Munster debut.

Academy out-half Tony Butler and full-back/winger Ben O’Connor are also included with O’Connor set to make his Champions Cup debut.

Jack O’Donoghue returns from an ankle injury to take his place among the replacements.

On the injury front, Academy lock Edwin Edogbo, Diarmuid Barron, Shane Daly and Oli Jager were unavailable for selection due to minor injuries.

Patrick Campbell (ankle) and Simon Zebo (knee) also miss out.

Keith Earls and Andrew Conway will take to the pitch at half-time with Munster supporters getting the opportunity to show their appreciation for the fantastic contribution they made to Munster Rugby. See full details here.

Munster: Calvin Nash; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Rory Scannell, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Scott Buckley, John Ryan; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley, Stephen Archer, Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Craig Casey, Tony Butler, Ben O’Connor.

Press Pass

Hear from Attack Coach Mike Prendergast and Diarmuid Barron ahead of the game.

Munster - Match Page - Lineups - Preview

Line-ups

Field

List

Munster Rugby
Pos
15	Calvin Nash
14	Shay McCarthy
13	Alex Nankivell
12	Rory Scannell
11	Sean O'Brien
10	Jack Crowley
9	Conor Murray
1	Jeremy Loughman
2	Scott Buckley
3	John Ryan
4	Fineen Wycherley
5	Tadhg Beirne
6	Thomas Ahern
7	John Hodnett
8	Gavin Coombes
Replacements
16	Eoghan Clarke
17	Josh Wycherley
18	Stephen Archer
19	Jack O'Donoghue
20	Alex Kendellen
21	Craig Casey
22	Tony Butler
23	Ben O'Connor

Bayonne
Pos
15	Cheikh Tiberghien
14	Bastien Pourailly
13	Peyo Muscarditz
12	Eneriko Buliruarua
11	Remy Baget
10	Thomas Dolhagaray
9	Maxime Machenaud
1	Matis Perchaud
2	Facundo Bosch
3	Tevita Tatafu
4	Denis Marchois
5	Konstantine Mikautadze
6	Pierre Huguet
7	Baptiste Heguy
8	Rodrigo Bruni
Replacements
16	Thomas Acquier
17	Swan Cormenier
18	Luke Tagi
19	Arthur Iturria
20	Remi Bourdeau
21	Gela Aprasidze
22	Arnaud Erbinartegaray
23	Tom Spring

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Report

Report | Bayonne Snatch Draw At Thomond

December 9, 2023 8:32 pm By The Editor

Shay McCarthy on his way to scoring his first Munster try. Inpho

Munster had to settle for a draw in their opening Investec Champions Cup as Bayonne, making their debut in the competition, came with a late surge to score a converted try three minutes from the end.

Munster led 14-3 at the break in front of a crowd of 18,908 at Thomond Park, having crossed for two good tries.

Bayonne showed from the outset that they were determined to make a mark in their first ever game in the competition and former French scrum-half Maxime Machenaud got them off the mark with a penalty after five minutes.

Munster got on top after that and Limerick native Shay McCarthy, making his Champions Cup debut, crowned the occasion with an excellent try after a good build-up.

Jack Crowley added the conversion to make it 7-5 after ten minutes.

Munster lost winger Seán O’Brien to injury, with Ben O’Connor coming on for his Champions Cup debut at full-back and Calvin Nash moving to the wing.

Munster increased their lead at the end of the opening quarter when a patient build-up through several phases ended with No.8 Gavin Coombes squeezing through under the posts. Crowley’s conversion made it 14-3.

Bayonne created several good chances and they reduced the margin seven minutes after the restart when Fijian Luke Tagi scored, with Machenaud converting to make it 14-10.

Both sides began emptying their benches and Munster extended their lead when Crowley added a penalty after 54 minutes to make it 17-10.

It remained that way until the closing minutes before Bayonne got in for their second try after 77 minutes from winger Rémy Baget and out-half Thomas Dolhagaray landed the difficult conversion from the left to tie the game at 17-17.

Munster piled on the pressure in the closing moments in search of a winning score but Bayonne defended well and the game ended in a draw when a drop-goal from 37 metres from Crowley was off target.

Champions Cup Round 1 Round-Up

Three Academy players featured with Shay McCarthy and Ben O’Connor making their Champions Cup debuts as McCarthy scored his first Champions Cup try.

Seán O’Brien departed for a HIA and will be assessed by the medical department.

Munster: Calvin Nash; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Rory Scannell (Tony Butler, 68), Seán O’Brien (Ben O’Connor, 18); Jack Crowley, Conor Murray (Craig Casey, 51); Jeremy Loughman (J Wycherley, 60), Scott Buckley (Eoghan Clarke, 73), John Ryan (Stephen Archer, 51); Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett (Jack O’Donoghue, 73), Gavin Coombes (Alex Kendellen, 55).

Summary

Timeline

Summary

Match Pages - Summary

Munster Rugby

Tries

McCarthy 9' , Coombes 19'

Conversions

Crowley 10' , 19'

Penalties

Crowley 54'

Bayonne

Tries

Tagi 46' , Baget 75'

Conversions

Machenaud 47' , Dolhagaray 76'

Penalties

Machenaud 4'

Timeline

Match Page - Timeline

17 - 17

Missed drop goal 80'

J. Crowley

17 - 17

Conversion 76'

T. Dolhagaray

17 - 15

Try 75'

R. Baget

17 - 15

Replacement 73'

J. Hodnett

J. O'Donoghue

17 - 17

Replacement 72'

M. Machenaud

G. Aprasidze

17 - 10

Replacement 72'

S. Buckley

E. Clarke

17 - 10

Replacement 68'

R. Scannell

T. Butler

17 - 10

Replacement 67'

F. Bosch

T. Acquier

17 - 10

Replacement 60'

M. Perchaud

S. Cormenier

17 - 10

Replacement 60'

J. Loughman

J. Wycherley

17 - 10

Replacement 58'

R. Buliruarua

T. Spring

17 - 10

Replacement 55'

G. Coombes

A. Kendellen

17 - 10

Replacement 55'

R. Bruni

R. Bourdeau

17 - 10

Replacement 55'

K. Mikautadze

A. Iturria

17 - 10

Penalty 54'

J. Crowley

14 - 10

Replacement 50'

J. Ryan

S. Archer

14 - 10

Replacement 50'

C. Murray

C. Casey

14 - 10

Conversion 47'

M. Machenaud

14 - 8

Try 46'

J. Tagi

14 - 3

Replacement 44'

T. Tatafu

J. Tagi

14 - 3

Replacement 28'

P. Muscarditz

A. Erbinategaray

14 - 3

Conversion 19'

J. Crowley

12 - 3

Try 19'

G. Coombes

7 - 3

Replacement 18'

S. O'Brien

B. O'Connor

7 - 3

Conversion 10'

J. Crowley

5 - 3

Try 9'

S. McCarthy

0 - 3

Penalty 4'

M. Machenaud

Performance

Match page - Match Stats

Possession (%)

Territory (%)

Teams

Metres Gained

390

Munster Rugby

436

Bayonne

Carries

158

Munster Rugby

106

Bayonne

Tries

Munster Rugby

Bayonne

Passes

209

Munster Rugby

139

Bayonne

Tackles Made

137

Munster Rugby

224

Bayonne

Missed Tackles

Munster Rugby

Bayonne

Turnovers

Munster Rugby

Bayonne

Penalties Conceded

Munster Rugby

Bayonne

Line-ups

Match Page - Lineups

Line-ups

M - Metres Gained
C - Carries
P - Passes made
T - Tackles
TO - Turnovers Won

Munster Rugby
Pos		T	D	C	P
15	Calvin Nash M: 66 C: 9 P: 5 T: 6 TO: 0
14	Shay McCarthy M: 20 C: 7 P: 0 T: 4 TO: 0	1
13	Alex Nankivell M: 37 C: 12 P: 9 T: 6 TO: 1
12	Rory Scannell Replacement: Tony Butler (68) M: 8 C: 6 P: 12 T: 9 TO: 0
11	Sean O'Brien Replacement: Ben O'Connor (18) M: 0 C: 3 P: 1 T: 0 TO: 0
10	Jack Crowley M: 15 C: 9 P: 29 T: 6 TO: 0			2	1
9	Conor Murray Replacement: Craig Casey (50) M: 16 C: 3 P: 57 T: 3 TO: 0
1	Jeremy Loughman Replacement: Josh Wycherley (60) M: 0 C: 6 P: 3 T: 8 TO: 0
2	Scott Buckley Replacement: Eoghan Clarke (72) M: 10 C: 11 P: 3 T: 8 TO: 1
3	John Ryan Replacement: Stephen Archer (50) M: 4 C: 5 P: 4 T: 2 TO: 0
4	Fineen Wycherley M: 1 C: 10 P: 2 T: 11 TO: 0
5	Tadhg Beirne M: 20 C: 14 P: 13 T: 11 TO: 3
6	Thomas Ahern M: 50 C: 11 P: 6 T: 9 TO: 1
7	John Hodnett Replacement: Jack O'Donoghue (73) M: 15 C: 9 P: 3 T: 15 TO: 0
8	Gavin Coombes Replacement: Alex Kendellen (55) M: 20 C: 13 P: 3 T: 10 TO: 1	1
replacements
16	Eoghan Clarke Replaced Scott Buckley (72) M: 0 C: 1 P: 1 T: 2 TO: 0
17	Josh Wycherley Replaced Jeremy Loughman (60) M: 0 C: 2 P: 2 T: 4 TO: 0
18	Stephen Archer Replaced John Ryan (50) M: 5 C: 8 P: 4 T: 10 TO: 0
19	Jack O'Donoghue Replaced John Hodnett (73) M: 0 C: 0 P: 0 T: 2 TO: 0
20	Alex Kendellen Replaced Gavin Coombes (55) M: 4 C: 5 P: 5 T: 4 TO: 1
21	Craig Casey Replaced Conor Murray (50) M: 2 C: 2 P: 40 T: 4 TO: 1
22	Tony Butler Replaced Rory Scannell (68) M: 0 C: 0 P: 6 T: 1 TO: 0
23	Ben O'Connor Replaced Sean O'Brien (18) M: 97 C: 12 P: 1 T: 2 TO: 1

Bayonne
Pos		T	D	C	P
15	Cheikh Tiberghien M: 68 C: 10 P: 4 T: 4 TO: 0	1
14	Bastien Pourailly M: 46 C: 9 P: 2 T: 3 TO: 0
13	Peyo Muscarditz Replacement: Arnaud Erbinartegaray (28) M: 12 C: 3 P: 3 T: 5 TO: 0
12	Eneriko Buliruarua Replacement: Tom Spring (58) M: 16 C: 6 P: 2 T: 8 TO: 0
11	Remy Baget M: 50 C: 8 P: 4 T: 12 TO: 0	1
10	Thomas Dolhagaray M: 9 C: 4 P: 21 T: 12 TO: 0			1
9	Maxime Machenaud Replacement: Gela Aprasidze (72) M: 8 C: 3 P: 70 T: 5 TO: 0			1	1
1	Matis Perchaud Replacement: Swan Cormenier (60) M: 31 C: 4 P: 1 T: 12 TO: 0
2	Facundo Bosch Replacement: Thomas Acquier (67) M: 8 C: 5 P: 2 T: 18 TO: 0
3	Tevita Tatafu Replacement: Luke Tagi (44) M: 13 C: 4 P: 2 T: 6 TO: 0
4	Denis Marchois M: 12 C: 3 P: 3 T: 23 TO: 2
5	Konstantine Mikautadze Replacement: Arthur Iturria (55) M: 0 C: 2 P: 0 T: 10 TO: 0
6	Pierre Huguet M: 23 C: 6 P: 3 T: 23 TO: 1
7	Baptiste Heguy M: 12 C: 7 P: 2 T: 23 TO: 1
8	Rodrigo Bruni Replacement: Remi Bourdeau (55) M: 24 C: 4 P: 1 T: 14 TO: 1
replacements
16	Thomas Acquier Replaced: Facundo Bosch (67) M: 1 C: 1 P: 0 T: 2 TO: 0
17	Swan Cormenier Replaced: Matis Perchaud (60) M: 0 C: 0 P: 0 T: 7 TO: 0
18	Luke Tagi Replaced: Tevita Tatafu (44) M: 13 C: 7 P: 3 T: 8 TO: 0	1
19	Arthur Iturria Replaced: Konstantine Mikautadze (55) M: 16 C: 7 P: 1 T: 10 TO: 0
20	Remi Bourdeau Replaced: Rodrigo Bruni (55) M: 3 C: 4 P: 1 T: 8 TO: 0
21	Gela Aprasidze Replaced: Maxime Machenaud (72) M: 6 C: 1 P: 9 T: 1 TO: 1
22	Arnaud Erbinartegaray Replaced: Peyo Muscarditz (28) M: 42 C: 5 P: 4 T: 9 TO: 0
23	Tom Spring Replaced: Eneriko Buliruarua (58) M: 24 C: 3 P: 1 T: 1 TO: 0