Northampton 6 Munster 17
One of the two battalions among a strikingly sizeable and loud Red Army contingent on a bitterly cold and sodden Sunday in the East Midlands a week out from Christmas cheerfully serenaded their heroes long after the final whistle. And in many ways, this was an heroic win in a make or break game which has given life to their seasonal Champions Cup campaign.
The victory should elevate them to sixth in Pool B, albeit they will also need to win the return match in January, especially given they still have the return trek to Toulouse a week later. But they are very much alive and kicking again.
In another game of two halves, Munster showed both sides of their character. They were full of inventive plays and ideas in an expansive first-half display, at the end of which they deservedly led by 17-6 thanks to two tries by Gavin Coombes, who shoulders a huge burden in a team not exactly overloaded with big, physical ball carriers.
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That they kept the Saints out in a scoreless second half was, in its way, even more impressive. The vast bulk of the 175 tackles they made, compared to 112 by the home side, were made after the break, as were the dozen-plus entries Northampton made into the Munster 22 in throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at Munster without scoring a try.
Despite Coombes’s efforts, Tadhg Beirne was an understandable man of the match with his defensive excellence, at the lineout and in customary style at the breakdown. Peter O’Mahony also led by example and John Ryan put in a huge 76-minute shift, which only makes his departure at the end of January for a second time all the more disappointing.
A special mention too for Antoine Frisch, who made at least three outstanding reads in the pivotal defensive position of outside centre, and Mike Haley, whose concentration and calmness was unwavering all game.
This was all the more true when Joey Carbery became Munster’s third yellow card amid a torrent of last quarter penalties to the home side by the utterly unconvincing French replacement referee, Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy.
With the temperature at zero degrees come kick-off, Munster made their intentions clear from the off, going wide to both wings. For all their positive intentions against Toulouse, in response to not making a single line break last week Munster opted to give Jack Crowley his eighth competitive start for the province. And within four minutes he used his wondrous footwork to make a half break and release the supporting O’Mahony.
Good hands by Frisch released Keith Earls, leading to a penalty to the corner, but the drive was held up and the attack ended when Jean Kleyn went off his feet.
Admittedly, Rory Hutchinson undid his own clever grubber by opting for a quick throw which eluded his team-mates and was picked off by Jeremy Loughman, but otherwise the first 15 minutes was all Munster.
Munster were having some joy from their high kicks, Calvin Nash’s chase and tackle earning another penalty to the corner for holding on by George Furbank. Eventually the pressure told, as Niall Scannell tapped a second close-range penalty and from the recycle Coombes picked up and burrowed over.
When the away side only conceded a Fin Smith penalty following five minutes of concerted pressure it was a result, a strong counter-drive after a Northampton penalty to the corner undone by not clearing their lines from an initially solid scrum when it then was stood up under pressure.
Joey Carbery landed a penalty after a costly knock-on by Alex Mitchell from Conor Murray’s box kick but Carbery then blocked George Furbank off the ball for Smith to do likewise before Munster struck for a second try after they shunted Northampton off their own scrum ball.
Cue a clever lineout variation. First O’Mahony transferred the ball to Beirne, who carried around the tail to set up a dummy peel before offloading to Coombes on the charge. The number eight ploughed through two tackles to score, leaving Munster 17-6 ahead at the break.
Munster came knocking again in the third quarter after another brilliant counter by Haley, before Frisch took a hard straight line at pace on to Kleyn’s pass, but Crowley’s attempted kick was turned over by Matt Proctor’s tackle.
The tone and tenor of the game was changed by an all-in brawl. The officials took the classical cop-out of brandishing a yellow card to Lewis Ludlum and Jack O’Donoghe for sparking events with the initial scuffle, even though the latter pulled away from it smiling.
Things worsened when David Ribbans hauled Ryan to the ground from behind by the neck, with Ludlum also helping to pin Ryan down. Haley joined in with what was a textbook clear-out and amid the ensuing stampede, Proctor flew into Earls’s back like a human missile, but unbelievably escaped sanction.
The penalty went to Munster but they were muscled out of their rhythm by Northampton, now roused by an engaged crowd, and the next nine penalties of the match went to the home side as Monsieur Nuchy only had eyes for visitors.
Munster were living by their wits, all the more so after Craig Casey was exposed on the wing, not for the first time this season, and was binned for taking out an airborne James Ramm. O’Mahony and Beirne each made brilliant lineout steals and some of Munster’s last-ditch tackling defied belief, with Beirne also winning a vital turnover, Frisch and John Hodnett combining to win another turnover with their line speed and Haley twice covered grubbers by Smith.
The home fans even managed a rendition of their Marching In anthem, but when Coombes’s strength over the ball helped to finally win a penalty for Munster in the 78th minute to lift Northampton’s 13th visit inside their 22, the cheer from the Red Army said it all. They knew they’d had another fine away win in the competition with which they are umbilically attached.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 14 mins: Coombes try, Carbery con 0-7; 20: Smith pen 3-7; 27: Carbery pen 3-10; 29: Smith pen 6-10; 36: Coombes try, Carbery con 6-17 (half-time 6-17).
NORTHAMPTON: George Furbank; James Ramm, Matt Proctor, Rory Hutchinson, Tommy Freeman; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Alex Waller, Sam Matavesi, Ehren Painter; Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, David Ribbans; Angus Scott-Young, Lewis Ludlam (capt), Juarno Augustus.
Replacements: Alfie Petch for Painter (52 mins), Emmanuel Iyogun for Waller (58), Alex Moon for Augustus, Fraser Dingwall for Proctor (both 67), Mikey Haywood for Matavesi (72), Aaron Hinkley for Scott-Young (76), George Skosan for Smith (79). Not used: Callum Braley,
Sinbinned: Ludlum (53-63 mins),
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Jack O’Donoghue, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Dave Kilcoyne for Loughman, Craig Casey for Murray (both 50 mins), Rory Scannell for Crowley (55), Diarmuid Barron (56), John Hodnett for Kleyn (70), Roman Salanoa, Alex Kendellen for O’Mahony, Shane Daly for Earls (both 76).
Sinbinned: O’Donoghue (53 mins), Casey (57), Carbery (69).
Referee: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (France).
