Northampton 24
Munster 14
MUNSTER GAVE IT a proper rattle and contributed to an enthralling Round of 16 contest but they faded in the final quarter as their Champions Cup dreams ended for another season.
Graham Rowntree’s men were eventually put to the sword by a Northampton team who scored two swashbuckling tries in the last 20 minutes to earn a home quarter-final against the Bulls next weekend.
Munster were highly competitive at Franklin’s Gardens, scoring two tries of their own, with captain Tadhg Beirne dragging them through some tough moments, but they didn’t have enough quality and energy to get over the line.
It was always going to be an uphill task. RG Snyman, Calvin Nash, Shane Daly, Oli Jager, Jean Kleyn, and Diarmuid Barron were among those missing through injury. John Ryan was suspended, so 36-year-old tighthead Stephen Archer had to go the distance here.
Scrum-half Craig Casey vomited on the pitch before the second half started, having apparently battled a bug in recent days. Whether the illness is related to Snyman’s virus or whether it spread any further within the squad is unclear but Munster certainly ran out of pop and power in the closing stages.
In truth, that has been an issue for them all season, including during their disappointing pool-stage effort in this competition. Munster only had themselves to blame for having to travel for this Round of 16 tie after winning one of their four pool games.
There were impressive moments of resistance here in Northampton, while Seán O’Brien and Mike Haley scored first-half tries, but Munster will regret not getting major control of the game for sustained periods. They also missed several chances in the Saints 22, particularly in the first half.
In the end, Northampton’s superior quality and superior bench made the difference as replacement wing George Hendy scored their third and fourth tries. Munster’s focus now centres solely on trying to retain their URC title.
Despite the early 12.30pm kick-off, this contest started at a rip-roaring pace and barely let up for the afternoon.
Munster enjoyed early visits to the Saints 22 thanks to some clever build-up attack with tip-in passes from Peter O’Mahony and a nice chip kick from Jack Crowley, but couldn’t take advantage. Saints skipper Lewis Ludlam won an early breakdown turnover on his 22-metre line, then managed to hold John Hodnett up over his own tryline on the next Munster visit.
Seven minutes of Munster pressure ended with Haley knocking the ball on and Saints punished them when they kicked long down the other end, luring an error from Crowley, who controlled the ball with his foot back into his own in-goal area and then rushed a kick to touch, giving Saints a five-metre lineout.
Haley saved Munster wide on their left initially with a great tackle but Northampton swung back to the other side and slick handling from centres Fraser Dingwall and Burger Odendaal put fullback James Ramm away for a converted try.
Munster were soon back within sight of the Saints tryline only to give up a breakdown turnover to wing Ollie Sleightholme, but the home side finally cracked in the 16th minute after strong carries from the likes of Hodnett and Gavin Coombes laid the platform for Alex Nankivell to tip a late pass onto O’Brien, who smashed through a tackle to finish.
Crowley converted for 7-7 and then Munster needed some big defensive interventions as Coombes won a turnover near their line after a crooked Niall Scannell lineout throw, then Beirne made a characteristic poach to end the next Northampton attack.
Wing Simon Zebo’s aerial pressure soon forced the ball loose down the left-hand side and though he scooped it up, centre Antoine Frisch couldn’t hold his inside pass and the chance was gone.
A scrum penalty win for Jeremy Loughman, followed by Alex Coles going off his feet at the breakdown, had Munster back in Saints territory just before the half-hour mark and this time, they were clinical. It was Haley who snuck over from a close-range ruck after O’Brien did well to ride another big Saints tackle.
Crowley’s extras had Munster 14-7 to the good but it wasn’t to last until the half. The scrum battle turned on its head, Munster following one penalty concession there instantly with a maul penalty for side entry to invite Northampton into their 22.
O’Mahony nearly stole the lineout but Scannell knocked on and Saints struck from the scrum. Number eight Sam Graham battered into Casey on first phase and when Courtney Lawes thundered around the corner, it looked like he would carry strongly on second phase but he instead dropped a deft pass out the back to out-half Fin Smith, who sent right wing Tommy Freeman scorching through to score.
There was still time for more excitement in a frenetic first half as Munster lock Tom Ahern burned up the left touchline and chipped ahead, only for Saints hooker Curtis Langdon to track back and counter-attack. Munster did get one last attacking chance but Hodnett spilled the ball forward and finally, everyone could take a breath.
Not that things were any less madcap in the second half. Within minutes of the restart, Munster needed some huge defensive efforts after Saints turned down a shot at goal to go into the left corner.
First, O’Mahony rose for a lineout steal five metres out, then Beirne pounced for the breakdown poach when Saints ran back at them off the clearing kick. Classic stuff from Munster’s big leaders. Casey’s kick out on the full meant more defending soon after, but Hodnett’s jackal attempt drew a side-entry penalty from the Saints.
Having soaked up that pressure, another breakdown effort from Beirne earned Munster a penalty to kick down into the Saints 22, but they botched their lineout to leave empty-handed.
Both benches were coming into play by now and it was the home team who found renewed energy just as the game entered the final quarter. They broke from deep in stunning fashion, with Dingwall slipping Sleightholme into a gap and the left wing finding Ramm to gallop up the right before passing to wing Hendy, only just on the pitch, for a diving finish in the right corner.
Munster were clearly flagging, with Lawes winning an important turnover near his side’s 22 as Rowntree’s men searched for a way back into control.
The visitors lost Coombes to an apparent arm injury and then Saints took a long-range shot at goal through Smith with 10 minutes to go, but his connection was poor and his kick missed.
Trailing by five, Munster went back at Saints but Crowley threw a poor pass behind sub back row Jack O’Donoghue and he couldn’t reel it in. Northampton punished them on turnover, swinging the ball wide right where Hendy produced a brilliant finish through Crowley’s missed tackle and past Zebo.
And that was it for Munster, who battled until the final whistle but came off second best and out of the Champions Cup.
Northampton scorers:
Tries: James Ramm, Tommy Freeman, George Hendy [2]
Conversions: Fin Smith [2 from 4]
Penalties: Fin Smith [0 from 1]
Munster scorers:
Tries: Seán O’Brien, Mike Haley
Conversions: Jack Crowley [2 from 2]
NORTHAMPTON: James Ramm; Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Burger Odendaal (George Hendy ’59), Ollie Sleightholme; Fin Smith, Tom James (Alex Mitchell ’52); Emmanuel Iyogun (Alex Waller ’61), Curtis Langdon (Sam Matavesi ’57), Trevor Davison (Paul Hill ’61); Alex Moon (Temo Mayanavanua ’65), Alex Coles; Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam (captain) (Juarno Augustus ’52), Sam Graham (Angus Scott-Young ’71).
MUNSTER: Mike Haley (Shay McCarthy ’75); Seán O’Brien (blood – Shay McCarthy ’61 to ’70), Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell (Joey Carbery ’66), Simon Zebo; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey (Conor Murray ’55); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley ’69), Niall Scannell (Eoghan Clarke ’69), Stephen Archer; Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne (captain); Peter O’Mahony (Alex Kendellen ’55), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes (Jack O’Donoghue ’66).
Replacement not used: Mark Donnelly
Referee: Mike Adamson [Scotland].
