Champions Cup Pool 3,
Munster v Northampton,
Thomond Park, Saturday,
5.30pm — Live on RTÉ 2 and TNT Sports 2
It’s one of the misnomers of the so-called Miracle Match. Back in 2003, going into their final pool game, Munster needed to beat Gloucester by either scoring five tries to nil, or four tries more and a minimum margin of 27 points.
Being the drama kings that they are, Munster naturally chose the latter, but it remains the case that so fanciful and unlikely were the permutations that very few, even among the squad, were aware that Ronan O’Gara still had to convert John Kelly’s late try for them to advance.
No such miracle is required on Saturday when Munster host Northampton in yet another January pool finale against an English club at their Thomond Park citadel.
Last weekend’s superb 29-18 bonus-point win against Toulon at the Stade Felix Mayol effectively secured their place in the knock-out stage, while to obtain a coveted home tie in the Round of 16 they will need to beat Northampton with a bonus point and then hope that Exeter return with no match points from their final Pool 3 game in Bayonne on Sunday evening in order to finish above the Chiefs.
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“It’s impossible to predict,” admits defence coach Denis Leamy. “George Murray [Munster’s video analyst] sent me a calculator. I opened it up and just closed it again. I got a nosebleed!”
Northampton, for their part, are the one side that have both qualified and secured a home tie in the Round of 16, but they need a win to ensure they top the pool and secure the added carrot of home advantage in the quarter-finals should they progress that far.
In any event, as both the Premiership and Pool 3 leaders, the Saints command such respect that Munster, as in 2003, are as well off not being sidetracked by permutations.
“That’s exactly the way we view it,” agrees Leamy. “We’ve spoken lightly about it. We haven’t gone in-depth into ‘what do we need’? With all due respect to a quality Northampton side, they will take an incredible beating. We need to play very, very well.
“Anything after that, it’s not really relevant. If we’re in a position, we’ll see. At this point in time, it’s the process of preparing for an incredible battle. I think the teams are quite evenly matched; if they aren’t favourites. That’s the challenge.”
The selections convey the magnitude of this game for both, with each making just one change from last week’s winning line-ups.
Compared to the team which beat Toulon in France last week, Oli Jager starts at tighthead prop after completing the return-to-play protocols. It will be Jager’s first Champions Cup start and his fifth appearance for Munster.
Tadhg Beirne captains a side which features all nine Munster players who were named in the Ireland squad and training panel for the Six Nations, including Jager and Tom Ahern.
Similarly, Phil Dowson makes just one change to a Northampton side which last weekend beat Bayonne (whom Munster drew with at home) by 61-14, recalling Juarno Augustus at number eight.
Saints’ contingent of seven players named in England’s Six Nations squad earlier this week — Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Alex Mitchell, Tom Pearson and Fin Smith — all start, as does Scotland international Rory Hutchinson, who was named in Gregor Townsend’s squad.
Ultimately, whatever the permutations or consequences, the bottom line is that it’s still a last day, Anglo-Irish, pool shoot-out with a near sell-out Thomond Park crowd. And against a Northampton who have added defensive steel with the appointment of Lee Radford to their potent attacking game this season. Having surged to the top of the Premiership and Pool 3, they are also seeking a first win in Thomond Park after four, often wounding, defeats.
Having their backs to the wall in this competition brought out the best in Munster last week but if that fine 29-18 win in the Stade Felix Mayol is to become a turning point in Munster’s season – like the win over South Africa in Cork last season – then it needs to be backed up with another significant scalp on Saturday which will reinforce the Thomond Park factor. The effects of a defeat, however, would linger.
Munster completed a hard-earned double over Northampton last season with a 17-6 win in Franklin’s Gardens and a 27-23 victory at Thomond Park.
“We know them quite well but what I would say is they’ve moved to another level around all aspects of their game,” admits Leamy.
“They’re a better team again than what we played last year. Their attack is class. It’s really, really good. Their speed of ball — they have the quickest ruck in the Premiership. How we deal with that, how we manage that will be really important because they’ve got such quality.
“Their attack is really pretty scary to be honest with you. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen an attack that’s choreographed and put together so well.”
More than most games perhaps, possession could be nine-tenths of the law. Munster, themselves an attacking team who want a high ball in play in time, appeared to regain their Champions Cup mojo last week, but this also looks like an acid test.
MUNSTER: S Zebo; C Nash, A Frisch, A Nankivell, S Daly; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, O Jager; T Ahern, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: E Clarke, J Wycherley, J Ryan, B Gleeson, A Kendellen, C Murray, J Carbery, S O’Brien.
NORTHAMPTON: G Furbank (capt); T Freeman, F Dingwall, R Hutchinson, O Sleightholme; F Smith, A Mitchell; A Waller, C Langdon, T Davison; T Mayanavanua, A Coles; C Lawes, T Pearson, J Augustus.
Replacements: R Smith, E Iyogun, E Millar-Mills, A Moon, S Graham, T James, B Odendaal, C Savala.
Referee: Tual Trainini (Fra).
Forecast: Munster to win.
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