Exeter 13-8 Munster: Shane Daly try gives visitors hope

Shane Daly evaded Stuart Hogg and Olly Woodburn to score a potentially crucial try for Munster

Exeter will take a slender lead into the second leg of their Champions Cup last-16 tie after being frustrated by Munster's resistance at Sandy Park.

Stuart Hogg scorched in for a long-range score for the hosts with just five minutes on the clock.

Jacques Vermeulen rumbled over before the break and the Chiefs, 10 points up, seemed set to build an advantage.

But Munster fought back with a Ben Healy penalty and a try for wing Shane Daly while the hosts were down to 13.

Exeter pushed hard for a try in the final few minutes. Olly Woodburn was denied a 78th-minute score by Keith Earls' heroic last-ditch cover defence as he dived into the corner.

Then, with the clock in the red, second row Jonny Gray was held up over the line.

Exeter may have won the match, but their dispirited reaction to the final whistle showed they would have liked a plumper cushion to ride out the storm that surely awaits at Thomond Park next Saturday.

Munster will hope to have captain Peter O'Mahony and fly-half Joey Carbery back for the return fixture after both were absent through injury.

Exeter left ruing indiscipline

Two yellow cards in two minutes saw the momentum swing against Exeter

Exeter, whose 2020 Champions Cup triumph took place behind closed doors because of Covid lockdown, will rue not putting the contest to bed in front of their raucous home support.

After Hogg had sliced through following O'Flaherty's break, their first-half dominance was further rewarded as Vermeulen crashed over from closer in.

At that point, Munster seemed there for the taking.

In addition to Carbery and O'Mahony, the visitors were also missing the influential Tadhg Beirne and wing Simon Zebo, the latter pulling out with illness on the morning of the match.

But Munster showed defensive grit to withstand more pressure after the interval before capitalising on Exeter's indiscipline.

Woodburn was shown yellow in the 59th minute for a high tackle, with replacement prop Patrick Schickerling following him to the sin-bin shortly after for playing the ball on the ground close to his own line.

Exeter initially made light of their two-man deficit as Hogg landed a monster drop-goal from near halfway to make it 13-3.

However, Munster's numerical superiority told as they seized on a loose ball, swept upfield and Daly stepped inside to score.

With Exeter still down to 13 men, Munster replacement Craig Casey thought he had scored the try that would have levelled the scoreboard, only to see it ruled out by the television match official.

Munster finished on the back foot in a see-sawing final 10 minutes, but will fancy their chances of overhauling Exeter's lead to book a last-eight meeting with either Ulster or Toulouse.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter: "That was a very good performance. All the hard work and the processes were there.

"If you perform like that, nine times out of 10, you win the game, and we've won the game. I am actually pretty comfortable with where we are. We have just got to go for it next week and be as good as we were today."

Munster head coach Johann Van Graan: "We stayed in the fight. The guys stood up and were counted.

"A two-leg knockout is fascinating. You can't win it in the first leg, but you can certainly lose it, and we feel we are still in it for next week at home.

"There were a lot of small margins in the game, and we need to be accurate for 80 minutes."

Exeter: Hogg; Woodburn, Slade, Whitten, O'Flaherty; J Simmonds, S Maunder; Hepburn, Yeandle, Williams, Gray, S Skinner, Ewers, Vermeulen, S Simmonds.

Replacements: H Skinner for Whitten (68), J Maunder for S Maunder (58), Moon for Hepburn (54),Innard for Yeandle (65), Schickerling for Williams (49), Capstick for Ewers (56), Kirsten for Vermeulen (56). Not Used: Hodge.

Sin-bin: Woodburn (59), Schickerling (60).

Munster: Haley; Earls, Farrell, De Allende, S Daly; Healy, Murray, Loughman, N Scannell, Archer, Kleyn, F Wycherley, O'Donoghue, Hodnett, Kendellen.

Replacements: Casey for Murray (62), J. Wycherley for Loughman (62), Ryan for Archer (48), Ahern for Kleyn (63), Jenkins for Hodnett (73). Not Used: Buckley, R Scannell, O'Sullivan.

Sin-bin: O'Sullivan (36).