Sawt Falasteen - Jaminet kicks Toulouse to home Champions Cup last 16 tie

The record five-time winners needed just a bonus point in the re-run of the 2008 final to make sure of the advantage with the next round being played at the start of April.

The Irish province could have claimed a home tie for themselves with a bonus-point victory against the leaders of the Top 14.

Nine of the 11 Toulouse's players named in France's squad for the Six Nations were part of the matchday 23. Les Bleus start the defence of their title in Italy on February 5.

Fly-half Joey Carbery started for the away side days after being omitted from Ireland's Six Nations set-up while, Jack Crowley, picked for the national squad, was at inside centre.

The home side started physically and led 8-0 after 10 minutes as Jaminet, one of the France '11', kicked a penalty and Argentina winger Juan Cruz Mallia dived over in the corner

Jaminet added a second penalty before the Irish province responded with flanker John Hodnett crossing and Carbery slotting a shot at goal to make it 11-8 at the break for Toulouse.

Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne silenced the sold-out home crowd were then silenced eight minutes after the break as he found a way through the defence.

Carbery missed a second conversion. Munster led 13-11 with half an hour left but still needed to collect a bonus point and stop their hosts from doing so, to claim a home last-16 tie.

- Reinach scores -

Jaminet and Carbery traded penalties and Toulouse led 17-16 with 12 minutes to play.

Toulouse camped inside Munster's 22m and Jaminet added a fifth three-pointer with six minutes left. Toulouse be home to the Bulls in the round of 16.

Earlier, Montpellier's South Africa scrum-half Cobus Reinach knocked London Irish out of the Champions and Challenge Cups with a try that secured a 21-21 draw.

The French club had already qualified for the top-tier's next stage.

Irish could not reach the knockout rounds of the Champions Cup, but a bonus point would have given them a place in the last 16 of the second-tier Challenge Cup.

Later, in the Scottish capital, Saracens, who won the last of their three titles in 2019, can also secure a home game in the next round by beating Edinburgh.

By the end of Saturday's action the teams in the last 16 were all known, including Leinster who hammered Racing 92 36-10 at Lansdowne Road, the venue of May 20's final to claim top seeding in Pool A.

E.Aziz--SF-PST