Munster had to settle for a draw in their opening Investec Champions Cup as Bayonne, making their debut in the competition, came with a late surge to score a converted try three minutes from the end.
Munster led 14-3 at the break in front of a crowd of 18,908 at Thomond Park, having crossed for two good tries.
Bayonne showed from the outset that they were determined to make a mark in their first ever game in the competition and former French scrum-half Maxime Machenaud got them off the mark with a penalty after five minutes.
Munster got on top after that and Limerick native Shay McCarthy, making his Champions Cup debut, crowned the occasion with an excellent try after a good build-up.
Jack Crowley added the conversion to make it 7-5 after ten minutes.
Munster lost winger Seán O’Brien to injury, with Ben O’Connor coming on for his Champions Cup debut at full-back and Calvin Nash moving to the wing.
Munster increased their lead at the end of the opening quarter when a patient build-up through several phases ended with No.8 Gavin Coombes squeezing through under the posts. Crowley’s conversion made it 14-3.
Bayonne created several good chances and they reduced the margin seven minutes after the restart when Fijian Luke Tagi scored, with Machenaud converting to make it 14-10.
Both sides began emptying their benches and Munster extended their lead when Crowley added a penalty after 54 minutes to make it 17-10.
It remained that way until the closing minutes before Bayonne got in for their second try after 77 minutes from winger Rémy Baget and out-half Thomas Dolhagaray landed the difficult conversion from the left to tie the game at 17-17.
Munster piled on the pressure in the closing moments in search of a winning score but Bayonne defended well and the game ended in a draw when a drop-goal from 37 metres from Crowley was off target.
Champions Cup Round 1 Round-Up
Three Academy players featured with Shay McCarthy and Ben O’Connor making their Champions Cup debuts as McCarthy scored his first Champions Cup try.
Seán O’Brien departed for a HIA and will be assessed by the medical department.
Munster: Calvin Nash; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Rory Scannell (Tony Butler, 68), Seán O’Brien (Ben O’Connor, 18); Jack Crowley, Conor Murray (Craig Casey, 51); Jeremy Loughman (J Wycherley, 60), Scott Buckley (Eoghan Clarke, 73), John Ryan (Stephen Archer, 51); Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett (Jack O’Donoghue, 73), Gavin Coombes (Alex Kendellen, 55).