Ciarán Kennedy Reports from Franklin's Gardens

Northampton Saints 34

Munster 32

MUNSTER AND NORTHAMPTON Saints rumbled their way through a rip-roaring Champions Cup contest at Franklin’s Gardens and after a breathless 80 minutes, it was the home team who came out on top and sealed top spot in Pool 3.

The Saints can now look forward to a home game in the round of 16 while Munster, who bagged two bonus points, wait for confirmation of their opponents in the knockouts. 

A hat-trick from Tom Seabrook pushed Northampton to victory in a nine-try thriller, with Diarmuid Kilgallen and Calvin Nash both scoring two tries for the province. 

Munster will head for home with 12 points in the pool, leaving them second and two clear of Saracens, who host Castres tomorrow.

Munster started and ended the first half camped in front of their own posts but held a three-point lead at the break, with Nash’s two excellent tries and a Crowley penalty nudging them narrowly ahead of a home side who crossed twice through winger Tom Seabrook and hooker Curtis Langdon.

Under a grey and threatening Northampton sky the visitors had started with intent and looked sharp in possession, but a series of errors left them unable to build any real momentum. Oli Jager knocked on in midfield before Rory Scannell was pinged for tackling beyond the ruck with the province moving into a promising position in the Saints 22.

Alex Kendellen got in for two turnover penalties to help keep the Saints at bay, but a messy Munster lineout pushed them right back down the pitch. Peter O’Mahony could only get fingertips to Diarmuid Barron’s throw and Northampton snapped into attack, Freeman chipping over top to send Rory Hutchinson chasing. Diarmuid Kilgallen got back to deny the try but a deliberate knock on handed Saints a 5-metre penalty.

Short, hard carries had Northampton knocking on the door, with a big tackle from Dian Bleuler grounding Freeman just short of the line. Saints pushed the ball wide and with time and space, Seabrook walked in the opening try. Out-half Fin Smith failed to add the conversion.

Northampton looked to build on that early lead but handling let them down, with Tarek Haffar knocking on in the 22 before Jack Crowley did the same on the back of a Tadhg Beirne lineout steal. On the next Munster attack Tom Farrell went charging out wide but was isolated and turned over.

Another Saints mistake brought Munster right back into the game.

A miscued Northampton lineout landed in Beirne’s arms, and as the Saints scrambled back into their defensive shape Conor Murray chipped into the backfield space. Langdon and Alex Mitchell looked to have the threat covered by Nash burst a gut to steam through the two defenders and get the first touch on the ball, nudging it forward with a deft touch on his thigh before winning the footrace to dot down. Crowley converted and Munster led by two.

Calvin Nash celebrates his first try. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Mike Haley then sent Munster back into Northampton territory with a 50:22, which looked to have dropped short of the Saints 22, and on the following passage of play Munster won a penalty which allowed Crowley add three points to the scoreboard.

There was a surge of momentum in Munster’s play now and just after the half hour mark they added a second try. Good carries from Scannell and Kilgallen shoved Munster up the pitch before Fineen Wycherley showed smart hands to release Barron. With Munster jerseys rolling forward Kendellen carried hard into contact as Nash screamed for the ball out wide.

Murray stepped in and sent the ball back infield, as three Northampton defenders snapped into Beirne near the post. Munster swung the ball toward the far wing and Nash swooped in on an arching run to take a Crowley pass and dive over for his second. This time Crowley’s conversion attempt was off target.

Munster ended the half defending a lineout in 22, and a series of penalties allowed Northampton grind away at their visitors before referee Nika Amashukeli showed a yellow card to Gavin Coombes for a high tackle.

Munster’s Mike Haley tackled by Alex Mitchell and Trevor Davison of Northampton. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

As the Munster number eight took his seat on the sideline the Northampton maul rumbled over the line, with Langdon getting the ball down before Smith added the conversion to leave Munster three points up at the break.

Down to 14 men, Munster were back under the pump early in the second half and their defence eventually broke when Northampton created an overload to send Seabrook over for his second try in the corner. Smith’s conversion dropped short as Coombes returned to the action, while Munster also sent in Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Tom Ahern and Jack O’Donoghue for Diarmuid Barron, Oli Jager, Fineen Wycherley and Peter O’Mahony.

With 30 minutes still to play Munster were chasing a two-point game.

A penalty against Beirne saw Smith pin Munster back into the corner. The Northampton lineout was good but Munster initially did well to contain the Saints maul. Mitchell took possession and went wide to Smith, and the out-half smartly tipped the ball into the path of James Ramm who sliced through for the bonus-point score.

The contest was in danger of slipping out of Munster’s reach so when they won a penalty just outside the Saints 22, Crowley gladly pointed for the posts and took the three points on offer.

The respite was short-lived. At the other end Farrell dropped a pass to ground and his knock-on resulted in Smith adding three points of his own.

Munster were still in the game but needed a moment. Pushing for a response, Farrell knocked on at the edge of the 22 before Crowley was tackled out of play after chipping over the top.

Munster’s Tom Farrell tackled by Fin Smith of Northampton. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

They kept at it and a moment of quality opened the door. After moving into a good, central position, Murray flicked a pass out the back and Kilgallen used his pace to beat a swarm of Saints defenders to the tryline. Crowley knocked over the conversion and the gap was cut to two.

Five minutes later Saints were in again and Seabrook was celebrating his hat-trick, the winger using his pace to scythe through from a clinical first-phase lineout attack, with Smith kicking conversion number three.

Munster never let their efforts dip but spent the closing minutes battering against a green wall.

Patterson was stopped inches short of the line by a big Henry Pollock tackle. A lineout in the corner kept the pressure on Northampton and while the home side defended brilliantly on the line to keep their visitors out, Munster eventually got the ball wide to Kilgallen for his second try. Crowley sized up the conversion from the sideline and nailed the kick, making it a two-point game as the clock ticked into the last minute.

Munster had one last chance from the restart and built their way back into the Northampton half, but the home team stole possession back through the excellent Pollock at the breakdown to kill the game and with it, wrap up top spot in the pool.

Munster’s effort came up short, and the province will wait to find out their destination in the round of 16.

Northampton scorers:

Try – Seabrook [3], Langdon, Ramm.

Penalty – Smith [1/1].

Conversion – Smith [3/5].

Munster scorers:

Try – Nash [2], Kilgallen [2].

Penalty – Crowley [2/2].

Conversion – Crowley [3/4].

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: James Ramm; Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall (capt), Rory Hutchinson, Tom Seabrook; Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell (Tom James, 72); Tarek Haffar (Tom West, 60), Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison (Luke Green, 63); Alex Coles (Callum Hunter-Hill, 54), Tom Lockett; Josh Kemeny (Angus Scott-Young, 72), Tom Pearson, Juarno Augustus (Henry Pollock, 60).

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash (Tony Butler, 63 HIA), Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray (Paddy Patterson, 72); Dian Bleuler (John Ryan, 72), Diarmuid Barron (Niall Scannell, 50, Barron 75 HIA), Oli Jager (Stephen Archer, 50); Fineen Wycherley (Tom Ahern, 50), Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O’Mahony (Jack O’Donoghue, 50), Alex Kendellen (Brian Gleeson, 67), Gavin Coombes.

Yellow card: Coombes 40.

Referee: Nika Amashukeli [GEO]