Champions Cup Round of 16: Northampton 24 Munster 14
Munster gave it the good fight and for much of a vibrant Champions Cup Round of 16 tie in one of the heartlands of English rugby the men in red and their travelling Red Army of roughly 3,500 believed another unlikely, epic European result away from home was possible.
But, in what has been a theme of their season, their lack of depth, compounded by a casualty list which saw RG Snyman and Shane Daly withdrawn 24 hours beforehand, contributed to their challenge falling away.
They failed to register a point in the second half as the Premiership leaders maintained their ferocity in the collisions and the quality of their back play. Their 21-year-old academy winger George Hendy, brought on for the last quarter, provided the stardust and the match-winning cutting edge with two eye-catching tries against a tiring Munster.
The four tries to two tally left no room for argument, and rather than face a daunting trek to Pretoria, Munster will have a week’s respite before their URC trek to South Africa after another anticlimactic Round of 16 exit. By contrast, the in-form Saints will fancy their chances in next weekend’s quarter-finals at home to the Bulls.
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[ Northampton 24 Munster 14: as it happenedOpens in new window ]
There had been rumours of an illness affecting the Munster camp, and one of the bug’s reputed main casualties, Craig Casey, could be seen vomiting on the pitch at the start of the second half, while their depowered frontrow and tight-five stocks were exposed by their increasing difficulties in the set piece.
Both sides want a high-tempo, ball-in-hand game and that’s exactly what they delivered. The ball-in-play time during a slightly wild, frenetic, fluctuating first half was off the charts.
From the moment Simon Zebo reclaimed Jack Crowley’s kick-off, it was breathless stuff. Munster had a couple of prolonged attacks which ran into a veritable green, back and gold wall, such was Northampton’s tackling execution on the gainline. But when their amalgam of tip-ons and big carries did inch them toward the home line at the end of the ground where most of the Red Army were congregated, Lewis Ludlam made one big steal and then held up John Hodnett over the line.
That was compounded by Crowley failing to trap a long kick by Tom James outside his 22. Hence, when he retrieved the ball from his in-goal area and found touch, the lineout was brought back to within five metres as he’d effectively brought the ball back inside the Munster 22.
Northampton didn’t score directly off the lineout, but a few phases later Burger Odendaal and Fraser Dingwall combined for James Ramm to score by the posts.
Munster’s response was excellent. Another bout of sustained tip-ons and hard carriers – Gavin Coombes, Hodnett, Niall Scannell and Jeremy Loughman all contributing – before Seán O’Brien powered through two tackles from Alex Nankivell’s delayed short flat pass.
After a crooked throw in the breeze by Scannell close to the Munster line, they were indebted to Coombes and Tadhg Beirne winning turnover penalties. Zebo rolled back the years and had the Red Army chanting his name after regathering a Crowley bomb and Antoine Frisch would have scored had he held on to the ensuing inside pass.
Nevertheless, The Fields rang out as Alex Coles blatantly came in from the side to afford Munster another penalty to the corner. Another good launch play, more variation with the close-in carries and after O’Brien crashed over the gainline when Frisch threw a short, flat pass, Mike Haley was on hand to pick up and dive over.
Munster remained in the ascendancy, Zebo coming across his wing to link with O’Brien from another nice strike move and Tom Ahern’s brilliant tackle prevented Tommy Freeman breaking clear.
But a scrum penalty and maul penalty brought Northampton into strike range and after Scannell failed to gather a loose Saints lineout, Sam Graham ploughed through Casey off the base and Courtney Lawes linked with Fin Smith for Freeman to ghost on to the outhalf’s pass and bring the sides level before half-time.
Before the match resumed, there was the disconcerting sight of Casey throwing up on the pitch, but he on carried for the third quarter, which bucked the trend of the first half in that while both sides threw some attacking punches at each other, each defence counterpunched effectively too.
When Northampton turned down a shot at goal, Peter O’Mahony superbly nicked the lineout, and Beirne followed that up with another turnover. After Casey kicked out on the full, Hodnett and Beirne again forced more turnover but, critically, the timing in two attacking Munster lineouts were completely awry.
Cometh the hour, when the Saints introduced Hendy on the wing and shifted Freeman into midfield, it had a dramatic effect. Striking stealthily off a Lawes lineout take inside their 22, Smith and Dingwall combined to release Ollie Sleightholme as Zebo, by now hobbling slightly, struggled to fill the gap inside. Ramm provided the link for Hendy, with his first touch, to accelerate and skate in by the corner flag.
A visibly wilting Munster unloaded their bench, reconfigured their backline with Joey Carbery adding some extra playmaking, tried moves from deep. But Frisch failed to link with Alex Kendellen on the left touchline, and when Crowley’s poor pass floated behind Jack O’Donoghue, the Northampton replacement scrumhalf Alex Mitchell made inroads.
Even so, there still seemed nothing on when a long pass bounced to Hendy, but his acceleration off the mark was just as breathtaking as he broke the tackles of Crowley and Zebo to finish again.
And that was that.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 8 mins: Ramm try, Smith con 7-0; 16: O’Brien try, Crowley con 7-7; 22: Haley try, Crowley con 7-14; 36: Freeman try, Smith con 14-14; (half-time 14-14); 61: Hendy try 19-14; 73: Hendy try 24-14.
NORTHAMPTON: James Ramm; Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Burger Odendaal, Ollie Sleightholme; Fin Smith, Tom James; Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison; Alex Moon, Alex Coles; Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam (capt), Sam Graham.
Replacements: Juarno Augustus for Leudlam, Alex Mitchell for James (both 52 mins); Sam Matavesi for Langdon (57); George Hendy for Odendaal (59); Alex Waller for Iyogun, Paul Hill for Davison (both 61); Temo Mayanavanua for Moon (65); Angus Scott-Young for Graham (71).
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Seán O’Brien, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Simon Zebo; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Tadhg Beirne (capt) Tom Ahern,; Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Alex Kendellen for O’Mahony, Conor Murray for Casey (both 56 mins); Shay McCarthy for O’Brien (63-70) and Haley (75); Jack O’Donoghue for Coombes, Joey Carbery for Nankivell (both 67); Eoghan Clarke for Scannell, Josh Wycherley for Loughman (both (70). Not used: Mark Donnelly.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).
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