Stuart Hogg stabs a kick through for Olly Woodburn but running at full tilt the wing can't control his own kick as it skews out for a Munster line-out.

The Thomond Park crowd know they need to lift they're side, so the decibel levels go up in Limerick.

It pays off too as Peter O'Mahony leaps to steal a line-out. It's a short-lived joy though, as O'Mahony is held up in the tackle and the Chiefs win the penalty.

So Munster were in defence for almost the entirely of the first quarter of this half, but now they come forward.

Josh Wycherley wriggles into the 22 but there's Jacques Vermeulen, hero at one end for the Chiefs and now hero at the other, to exact a massive turnover.

O'Mahony is up much to the relief of the Thomond Park faithful.

Jack Yeandle taps and goes but is held up, Munster defend well but give away another penalty and Yeandle goes again.

It's just good, accurate rugby from Exeter. Ball retention far better than it was before half-time.

They move right up to a couple of metres out and John Hodnett is penalised. A 5m penalty to come but more worryingly for Munster, Peter O'Mahony is down and receiving some treatment.

Tom O'Flaherty is in off his wing looking for work as Exeter try to hammer their way up the middle.

It is slow progress but progress nonetheless, 11 phases later and they're into the 22.

An apologetic hand goes up from Conor Murray, who is angrier at himself than any of his team-mates will be.

It's a really poor box kick that goes straight out on the full and gives Exeter possession back on the halfway line.

It's a nice, measured start to the half from the Chiefs who are able to build through the phases thanks to much cleaner work at the breakdown.

But they are going sideways as opposed to forwards and eventually Jannes Kirsten spills forward.

Right, both teams are back out.

40 minutes for a place in a Champions Cup quarter-final. We're back underway.

All 13 of Munster's points have come courtesy of Joey Carbery, whose absence was keenly felt by the province last weekend.

His return, alongside O'Mahony's, has made as much of a difference as Munster could have hoped for.

Image source, Inpho

Turnovers: Munster 7-0 Exeter Chiefs.

There's the story of the match so far (aside from Jack Nowell's magnificent stag do/Munster shirt sub-plot) right there.

Munster's back row have had a field day in that opening 40 and it's making life really difficult for the Chiefs.

It's not an easy kick at all for Simmonds, right of the posts from just inside the Munster half.

It has the distance but not the accuracy as it doesn't swing in enough to go between the sticks.

So Munster lead by eight points on the day, but more importantly by three points in the tie.

It remains firmly in the balance as the first half draws to a close.

Oh Simon Zebo would love that one back.

It's a really poor pass from Ian Whitten who almost throws the ball directly at the hand of the Munster wing who, had he held onto it, would have been set for a clean run to the line.

However he isn't really expecting it and knocks on.

From the resulting scrum, Exeter win a penalty and Joe Simmonds has a chance to level the tie.

That's a silly penalty for Munster to give away, as they're pinged for not getting the ball out from the back of a ruck quick enough having been instructed to do so.

From the resulting scrum though, the arms goes up in the other direction as Alec Hepburn is penalised for going down.

John Ryan is delighted and lets Hepburn know all about it.

That's magic from Chris Farrell in defence as the Chiefs are rolling having taken moved the ball quickly from the aforementioned scrum out to O'Flaherty on the wing.

Farrell doesn't commit initially, daring O'Flaherty to try to take him on the outside and when the Exeter flyer accepts the invitation Farrell closes the space and forces a knock-on.

Munster will be feeling pretty good about things with less than 10 minutes to go before halfway.

They're dominating the breakdown and look dangerous on the ball. Jack O'Donoghue runs a nice line but can't take Conor Murray's pass cleanly giving the Chiefs another scrum just inside their own half.

Exeter win a scrum on halfway, giving the camera a chance to pan into the crowd.

Who's that lad in the Munster top enjoying a pint? It looks like... it can't be... no, it definitely is... it's Jack Nowell!

In his defence he is both injured and on his own stag-do so would not have had much choice in the matter I'd imagine.

That's more brilliant work from the hosts at the breakdown with John Hodnett this time reclaiming the ball on halfway allowing the backs to move it right to Keith Earls.

Initially Earls makes ground but his pass inside finds Harry Williams. He is brought down and quick as a flash, Peter O'Mahony is over the top to win another penalty.

Dominant stuff from the Munster back row. Joey Carbery goes to the corner and it's a Munster's line-out about eight metres from the Exeter line.