European Champions Cup: Racing 92 beat Munster to set up Leinster final

Racing were so dominant Thomas turned down the chance of a 20-minute hat-trick to gift Machenaud his first-half try

Racing 92 will play Leinster in the European Champions Cup final after a sensational first-half performance blew Munster away in Bordeaux.

Teddy Thomas scored twice in a dazzling start by Racing and then set up Maxime Machenaud when already over the line.

All Munster had to show at half-time was an Ian Keatley penalty.

Munster improved after the break and Simon Zebo went over but despite late tries from Rhys Marshall and Andrew Conway, they never looked like winning.

It means the Parisians will travel to Bilbao on 12 May for their second Champions Cup final to face Leinster, who produced a formidable performance of their own to beat Scarlets 38-16 on Saturday.

Racing stormed out of the blocks and crossed after five minutes when Thomas hit a Virimi Vakatawa pass at speed.

The France winger added his second from a classy Vakatawa break, shortly after Keatley's penalty had got Munster on the board, before teeing up Machenaud for the third Racing try inside 23 minutes.

Machenaud increased the deficit to 24 points with penalties either side of the half, putting the game beyond Munster despite the Irish province's late response.

With Marc Andreu sin-binned for Racing - who brought on Dan Carter midway through the second half - Munster made their numerical advantage count as Conor Murray put Zebo in.

The Irish province then had the momentum and a glimmer of hope when Marshall powered over with four minutes to go, but Conway's 80th-minute try ultimately proved only a consolation.

"They started the game like a train on fire," said Munster head coach Johann van Graan. "We regrouped at half-time and had opportunities. In a game of this magnitude you have to take those opportunities.

"Incredible support, incredible club and incredible people. For Munster to get to the semi-final is an incredible achievement, but it wasn't to be.

"We came up maybe one or two minutes short. That's rugby, that's life - we'll take it on the chin and be back next year."

Munster: Conway; Earls, Arnold, Scannell, Wootton; Keatley, Murray; Kilcoyne, Scannell, Archer, Kleyn, Holland, O'Mahony (capt), O'Donoghue, Stander

Replacements: R Marshall, J Cronin, J Ryan, Grobler, Copeland, Hart, Hanrahan, Zebo

Racing: Dupichot; Thomas, Vakatawa, Chavancy, Andreu; Lambie, Machenaud; Ben Arous, Chat, Gomes Sa, Ryan, Nakarawa, Lauret, Le Roux, Nyanga

Replacements: Szarzewski, Kakovin, Afatia, Claassen, Chouzenoux, Iribaren, Carter, Rokocoko