Munster got their Investec Champions Cup campaign off to a winning start thanks to a 33-25 win over Racing 92 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night.

A five-try win, but without a bonus point under the new rules, Clayton McMillan's men kept their 100% record in the Cork venue intact, with Brian Gleeson, Shay McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Fineen Wycherley, and Player of the Match Craig Casey all getting in on the act.

Before a ball was kicked, tributes were paid to the great Anthony Foley, who passed away ten years ago this weekend. A commemorative mural of photos was on display outside the ground, while Jean Wallace, alongside members of Shannon RFC sang the club’s well known anthem, "There is an Isle".

A moment’s silence for the late Hyron Andrews soon followed, as did a commemorative jersey swap, but once that was done and the crowd of 24,906 took to their seats, you knew this was a proper European Cup grudge match, just in a different venue.

It was the visitors who started brighter as out-half Antoine Gibert put them three points to the good with an early penalty after a little under two minutes. However, when Tadhg Beirne came up with a trademark jackal turnover off the restart, the home side set their stall out.

Former St. Finbarr’s hurling prodigy Ben O’Connor tore down the right wing before a Charlie O’Shea chip kick was carried back over Racing’s tryline. A Munster scrum was formed, and then came a Munster try with no better man to get it.

Playing number eight like Axel, but wearing number 24 in his memory, up stepped Tipperary youngster Brian Gleeson for the game’s opening try.

O’Shea expertly converted from an acute angle, and the two-time winners had their noses in front.

A minute-long round of applause and standing ovation followed in the eighth minute in memory of the former Munster coach, just the latest reminder that this was more than just a regular rugby game.

The lead was out to two scores before the quarter hour, as Munster’s luck finally benefitted them.

Alex Nankivell’s swivel pass to Charlie O’Shea missed the 20-year-old, but the cavalry were lined up, ready to fire. Winger Shay McCarthy was on hand to scoop up the loose pass, and with an electric turn of pace akin to Simon Zebo, the Limerick man raced home for a brilliant score from 40-plus metres out.

Racing curbed the momentum towards the end of the first of the quarter, and pulled three points back from the boot of Gibert in the 25th minute, but struggled to find a proper try scoring opportunity despite ten extended minutes of pressure inside the Munster half.

However, neither side could take advantage of a litany of opportunities in the second quarter, despite Munster’s lineout throw-in five metres out in added time, so they headed down the tunnel with a 14-6 buffer.

If inaccuracy was the theme of the first half, Munster took it personally when returning for the second period. O’Shea again brought tempo and direction to their deep-lying attack, as Seán Edogbo, Jack Aungier and Jeremy Loughman brought them to within inches out.

Club captain Tadhg Beirne was the man to bundle over in the end, again converted by O’Shea, and Munster were closing on a try bonus point.

However, it was the visitors who struck right back. Wilfried Hulleu capitalised on a scrappy moment at the lineout, and weaved his way in to score. In the blink of an eye, with the new laws in place, Munster’s try bonus point was taken away from them, but with lots of time to chase it down.

Their second soon followed, with shades of Ravenhill now living rent free in the home crowd’s minds. Hooker Diego Escobar dotting down from the back of an impressive rolling maul, which Gibert converted on this occasion, and the margin was back to three after just 53 minutes.

With the wind between their Racing sails, Munster deployed their bench. Brookes, Hanrahan, Josh and Fineen Wycherley, Coombes and O’Donoghue all came in, with one making an important impact.

A fearsome Alex Nankivell carry brought the home side to within five metres, before Cork’s own Fineen Wycherley ran in unopposed to ease some of the visible tension on the banks of the Lee.

That looked to seal the deal, some may have hoped, but the Top 14 club had other ideas. Not afraid to run from deep, the visitors went from one 22 to the other, before Joey Manu touched down in the corner, with Gibert adding the extras, to bring the deficit back to three once more.

Despite having all the momentum, the game swung back in Munster’s favour shortly after. Sione Tupou’s reckless challenge in the air on Ben O’Connor saw him sent to the bin, buoying the crowd and the hosts.

With their foot on the accelerator, Casey went close first then Beirne soon followed, but the Lion was held up over the line, turning over possession. Racing restarted proceedings, but never saw the ball again.

A penalty kicked to the corner allowed Craig Casey add the finishing touches as the men in red dogged it out, in a manner befitted to Foley’s halcyon days.

The win sees Munster sit second in Pool 3, after Stormers defeated Bristol, while Gloucester held Bordeaux-Begles to a frantic draw.

Scorers

Munster: Tries: Gleeson, McCarthy, Beirne, F Wycherley, Casey

Cons: O’Shea (3), Hanrahan

Racing 92: Tries: Hulleu, Escobar

Pens: Gibert (2)

Cons: Gibert (2)

Yellow card: Tupou

Munster: Ben O'Connor; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; Charlie O’Shea, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Marnus van der Merwe, Jack Aungier; Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Seán Edogbo, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Max Clein (for van der Merwe, 79), Josh Wycherley (for Loughman, 57), Kieran Brookes (for Aungier, 57), Fineen Wycherley (for Ahern, 59), Gavin Coombes (for Gleeson, 54), Ben O’Donovan (for Casey, 79), JJ Hanrahan (for O’Shea, 57), Jack O’Donoghue (for Edogbo, 54).

Racing 92: Geronimo Prisciantelli; Wilfried Hulleu, Vinaya Habosi, Joey Manu, Sione Tupou; Antoine Gibert, Antoine Latrasse; Edouard Jabea Njocke, Diego Escobar, Gia Kharaishvili; Thomas Lainault, Jordan Joseph; Lekima Tagitagivalu, Nicolas Martins, Maxime Baudonne (capt).

Replacements: Yanis Basse (for Escobar, 78), Lehopoame Leota (for Jabea Njocke, 52), Demba Bamba (for Kharaishvili, 44-69), Nathan Hughes (for Joseph, 59), Soumaila Camara (for Lainault, 78), Maxime Machenaud (for Latrasse, 44), Sam James (for Habosi, 44), Arthur Roche (for Tupou, 57).