BBC Sport
[Source: BBC]
Munster were beaten 16-14 by Castres on a frustrating and bruising night for the Irish province at the Stade Pierre Fabre.
Munster were, predictably, under pressure early at a ground where their hosts have not lost a game this season. They had conceded five penalties by the 12th minute and the last of those proved costly.
Stephen Archer caught Louis le Brun high and, from the subsequent line-out, former Connacht back-row Abraham Papalii crashed over.
It briefly looked as though Thaakir Abrahams had got his body between ball and grass but replays proved it was a good score. Jeremy Fernandez pushed the conversion wide but Castres were good value for their lead after two previous scores had been chalked off, one by Remy Baget, who could not ground a kick through, and then another when Munster got underneath a maul.
Mike Prendergast’s men started getting into things but, after Jack Crowley dropped a penalty short, they were under their own posts again just before the half-hour mark when a quick penalty was taken by the explosive Papalii.
He came up short but it was quickly recycled to loose-head prop Quentin Walcker who barged over. Fernandez again fail to add the extras and try scorer Walcker was sin-binned just three minutes later for landing a shoulder on the dipping head of Brian Gleeson.
Munster desperately needed to make the most of the man advantage and they did three minutes before the break thanks to openside flanker John Hodnett, who picked off the back of a rolling maul and powered his way over.
Crowley nailed the conversion to bring the deficit to three at half-time.
