Graham Rowntree perplexed by Munster Champions Cup flop

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree expressed his 'huge' frustration following his team's 32-24 defeat to Exeter Chiefs in the Investec Champions Cup.

Despite leading 24-13 after 65 minutes, Munster could not withstand a strong comeback from Exeter. Henry Slade was pivotal for the Chiefs, contributing 17 points through a try, three conversions, and two penalties, in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 13,000 at Sandy Park.

Exeter's victory was marked by tries from Dan Frost, Jack Dunne, Ross Vintcent, and Slade, showcasing their resilience and ability to rally late in the game. This follows their narrow 19-18 win against Toulon last week, also clinched by a last-minute effort from Slade.

Munster's performance featured tries from Tom Ahern, Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, and Shane Daly, with Jack Crowley adding two conversions.

Rowntree cut an agitated figure at the post-match press conference. Despite securing a bonus point and initially dominating, Rowntree lamented the game's shift against Munster. He highlighted the third try from Exeter as a turning point, describing it as "crazy" and "against the run of play."

“I’m hugely frustrated and need to calm down and have another look at some of the crucial incidents.

“We scored some cracking tries to get a bonus point and get on top of them but the game got away from us and it shows that the game is never over.

“The third try from the bouncing ball was just crazy and was against the run of play.

“As far as this competition is concerned, we’ll see how the cards develop as we still have Toulon away and (Northampton) Saints at home, but we are the world specialists in making life difficult for ourselves.”

additional reporting PA