Munster Edge Racing 92 in Emotional Champions Cup Opener

Munster opened their 2026‑27 Champions Cup campaign with a 33‑25 victory over Racing 92 at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, a night steeped in tribute to former captain Anthony Foley. The match took place exactly ten years and one day after Foley’s untimely death in October 2016, the first Munster player to lift the Heineken Cup. Before kickoff, the Shannon RFC choir sang “There is an Isle,” the song that featured prominently at Foley’s funeral in Limerick. Neither side fielded a player wearing Foley’s number eight, and a minute’s applause was observed in the eighth minute of the game in honour of the late back‑rower’s family.

Munster surged ahead early, with Brian Gleeson scoring the opening try after six minutes, followed by Shay McCarthy’s effort at the 13‑minute mark. Tadhg Beirne added a second‑half try to extend the lead to 15 points. Racing 92 fought back, with Wilfried Hulleu, Maxime Machenaud and Joey Manu each crossing the line, while Fineen Wycherley was Munster’s only responder in that spell. The French side narrowed the gap to three points, but a late yellow card for Arthur Roche stalled their momentum. Craig Casey sealed the win with a try two minutes from the final whistle.

Racing 92 have struggled in the early stages of the Top 14, sitting 12th after four defeats in six matches. Their early penalty from Antoine Gibert gave them an initial lead, but they never looked like the side that reached European finals in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Munster’s Brian Gleeson, wearing the number 24 jersey in the absence of a regular number eight, powered over from a scrum to put his team ahead, and McCarthy’s try followed shortly after. A second penalty from Gibert reduced Munster’s margin to eight points before halftime, but a missed line‑out opportunity prevented a larger lead.

In the second half, Munster’s captain Tadhg Beirne restored a comfortable advantage with a close‑range try four minutes after the restart. However, Racing 92 responded quickly, with Hulleu’s opportunistic try and Machenaud’s finish from a maul cutting the lead to three points. Fineen Wycherley’s try, set up by Craig Casey’s delayed pass, gave Munster a brief respite. Racing 92 then looked like their former selves when Joey Manu scored after a slick interchange involving Hulleu and Sam James, but the momentum was halted by Roche’s yellow card for a clash with Munster full‑back Ben O’Connor. Playing with 14 men, Munster capitalised as Casey broke from a maul to score the final try and secure the win.

Munster will now turn their attention to the United Rugby Championship, travelling to face Leinster next weekend, and will seek greater consistency over the full 80 minutes.

Munster line‑up: O’Connor; McCarthy, Nankivell, Kelly, O’Brien; O’Shea, Casey; Loughman, Van der Merwe, Aungier; Ahern, Beirne (c), Edogbo, Hodnett, Gleeson. Replacements: Clein, J Wycherley, Brookes, F Wycherley, G Coombes, O’Donovan, Hanrahan, O’Donoghue.

Racing 92 line‑up: Prisciantelli, Hulleu, Habosi, Manu, Tupou; Gibert, Latrasse; Njocke, Escobar, Kharaishvili; Lainault, Joseph, Tagitagivalu, Martins, Baudonne (c). Replacements: Basse, Leota, Bamba, Hughes, Camara, Machenaud, James, Roche. Roche served a sin‑bin period at the 70th minute. Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).