NEWS CHANNEL
Heineken Cup Pool One
Northampton Saints 36 (19)
Munster 51 (19)
Attendance – 22,220
Northampton Saints’ European adventure ended as it began – defeat at the hands of Munster in an enthralling and absorbing contest. This time though, the contest was settled well before the final whistle though as a hat-trick of tries from Simon Zebo and a personal haul of 26 points from Ronan O’Gara saw the Irishmen out-gun Jim Mallinder’s side at stadium:mk.
The decision to switch the match from Franklin’s Gardens to Milton Keynes proved controversial when it was announced, but a near-capacity crowd were treated to a high-scoring exhibition that proved as fiery and feisty along with the try-fest that it turned out to be.
And yet at half time the contest was balanced on a knife edge with the teams deadlocked at 19 apiece. But Zebo’s score soon after play resumed swung things in favour of Munster, with the 21-year-old stealing the show and celebrating his recent call-up to the Ireland Six Nations squad with a man of the match performance. Meanwhile, the Saints could not even have the consolation of qualifying for the Amlin Challenge Cup thanks to results elsewhere.
Despite the persistent rain, Munster indicated their intention to move the ball quickly along the line from the opening whistle. Yet it was the nominal hosts who were given the first opportunity to put points on the board in the third minute when the Irish outfit were penalised for not releasing the tackled player, although Ryan Lamb’s effort from 35 metres came back off the post.
The Saints won the ball back almost immediately though and when fly half Lamb was given another opportunity for a shot at goal thanks to an offside he duly obliged by kicking the three points on offer. The early momentum remained with Northampton after the restart with a kick from George Pisi, of all people, pinning Munster back on their own try line and a careless forward pass giving them a platform to attack.
Repeated pick and drives from the scrum were thwarted, but a ruck infringement allowed Lamb to slot over an 11th minute penalty from right in front of the posts. The ever-reliable O’Gara pulled back three points for the visitors two minutes later though with a penalty from 40 metres out, only for his side to fall onto the back foot soon after when Samu Manoa’s bone-rattling hit on Lifeimi Mafi forced the centre into spilling the ball.
That resulted in a scrum five metres from the line and with his side being driven back, Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony tried to boot the ball clear in desperation to leave referee Romain Poite with no choice but to run under the sticks and award a penalty try. Lamb’s conversion gave Northampton a ten point lead, but Munster rallied and although the Saints were able to repel some attacks they were caught offside which allowed O’Gara to land his second penalty of the night on 20 minutes.
Their years of experience in Europe’s premier club competition have taught Munster not to let an early setback phase them and when they managed to turn the ball over thanks to Donnacha Ryan’s crunching tackle on Jamie Elliott it signified that they were now in the ascendancy. Again, the Saints defence performed sterling work to halt strong runs from Zebo and Mafi, although Ireland international O’Gara booted a further penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Almost straight from the restart Northampton went up the other end in a move that finished with Lamb landing a drop goal. However, in the 32nd minute the scores were levelled when an uncharacteristic error from Phil Dowson saw the back row cough up possession deep in his own half. That slip was punished and it was BJ Botha who found the gap in the defensive line, picking the ball up from the base of a ruck before scrambling over for a try that O’Gara converted.
The veteran number ten maintain his one hundred per cent record with the boot when he kicked his side in front with a 36th minute penalty. The teams would go in level at the interval though thanks to Lamb’s third successful penalty of the half, although just two minutes were gone in the second half when Munster retook the lead.
Excellent work from winger Zebo saw them win the ball back from the kick off and Northampton’s resolve was eventually broken when Johne Murphy dived over in the corner, with O’Gara landing the conversion from close to the touchline. Then on 48 minutes another swift, ruthless attack was finished by Zebo, who had been put through to score by a superb offload in the tackle from Denis Hurley.
The Saints were not finished yet though and were denied a 52nd minute score by the TMO after Soane Tonga’uiha knocked on over the line. Excellent scrambling defence by Lee Dickson forced opposite number Conor Murray down behind his own line from the resulting scrum however, leading to several repeat scrums before Mr. Poite eventually lost patience and awarded a second penalty try. Some fisticuffs in the aftermath led to scrum halves Murray and Dickson being sin binned, while Lamb’s conversion drew the home side to within four.
O’Gara’s 65th minute penalty put further daylight between Munster and Northampton. That was followed just one minute later by another from Lamb, only for some over-exuberance at the line-out from American lock Manoa allowed the prolific Irish number ten to increase his and his side’s tally as the match entered the final ten minutes.
Zebo ensured there would be no doubt about the result in the 72nd minute, returning an intercepted James Downey pass for a try after racing in from 50 metres out. He then grabbed his third of the game four minutes from time. Northampton replacement Scott Armstrong did though manage a try on the stroke of full time that fellow sub Stephen Myler converted, but news of the Scarlets snatching a late win at Castres meant their elimination from European competition was confirmed.
Line-Ups
Northampton Saints – Foden; Elliott (Armstrong 69), Pisi, Downey, Artemyev; Lamb (Myler 73), Dickson (Roberts 73); Tonga'uiha (Waller 67), Hartley (captain), Mujati (Doran Jones 65), Manoa, Sorenson (Day 62), Clark (Nutley 62), Dowson, Wilson
Replacement Not Used - Sharman
Munster – Hurley; Murphy, Earls, Mafi, Zebo; O'Gara (Keatley 75), Murray (O’Leary 68); du Preez (Horan 55), Varley (Fogarty 75), Botha (Archer 75), Donncha O'Callaghan (O'Driscoll 73), O'Connell (captain), Ryan, O'Mahony (Dave O'Callaghan 75), Coughlan
Replacement Not Used – Barnes
Referee – Romain Poite (FFR)
