Munster's second-half surge not enough to overcome Bordeaux's rampant attack

Munster’s Champions Cup hopes were ended by a rampant Bordeaux-Begles side in an engrossing quarter-final on Saturday but Ian Costello’s side went down fighting to the end.

A week on from a heroic Round of 16 victory over Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, a return trip to France seven days later saw the 2006 and 2008 winners run out of road as top seeds UBB booked their place in the semi-finals and an all-French clash with the winners of Sunday’s last-eight clash between Toulon and defending champions Toulouse.

First-half tries from Damien Penaud, captain Maxime Lucu, Pete Samu and Jon Echegaray powered the home side into a 29-3 lead before an Alex Nankivell try in first-half overtime gave Munster a lifeline, though the visitors were still left with a mountain to climb in the second half.

They quickly began scaling the heights with Andrew Smith scoring his second try in as many matches on 51 minutes, but a helter-skelter second period saw Munster concede two yellow cards, earn a penalty try to reply to Maxime Lamothe's maul try, only for Louis Bielle-Biarrey to break Irish hearts at the death.

Munster had received a twin boost on their return from La Rochelle last weekend, with a two-year contract extension for fly-half Jack Crowley ending speculation about him departing for Leicester Tigers this summer, and a successful appeal against the red card centre Alex Nankivell’s received against Connacht freeing the New Zealander to return to the starting line-up having missed the Round of 16 win.

Nankivell was one of two changes to the side which won 25-24 seven days earlier, Sean O’Brien vacating the number 12 jersey and moving to the bench, with Josh Wycherley starting at looshehead prop having replaced the injured Jeremy Loughman