Good evening and welcome along to The42′s live coverage of Munster Heineken Champions Cup clash with reigning holders Saracens.
For a game like this, is there any place you’d rather be than Thomond Park?
The hosts have even installed additional seating in advance of this highly-anticipated clash. That move will increase the capacity from 25,600 to 26,267.
We’ll have team line-ups and any late changes for you in the next few minutes as we gear up for the 5.30pm kick-off.
Here’s how Munster are named to line out:
15. Mike Haley
14. Andrew Conway
13. Chris Farrell
12. Rory Scannell
11. Keith Earls
10. JJ Hanrahan
9. Conor Murray
1. James Cronin
2. Niall Scannell
3. Stephen Archer
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Billy Holland
6. Tadhg Beirne
7. Peter O’Mahony (captain)
8. CJ Stander
Replacements:
16. Kevin O’Byrne
17. Liam O’Connor
18. John Ryan
19. Fineen Wycherley
20. Jack O’Donoghue
21. Nick McCarthy
22. Sammy Arnold
23. Arno Botha
And here is the Saracens starting team
15. Matt Gallagher
14. Rotimi Segun
13. Alex Lozowski
12. Brad Barritt (captain)
11. Alex Lewington
10. Manu Vunipola
9. Ben Spencer
1. Richard Barrington
2. Jack Singleton
3. Titi Lamositele
4. Will Skelton
5. Maro Itoje
6. Nick Isiekwe
7. Ben Earl
8. Jackson Wray
Replacements:
16. Kapeli Pifeleti
17. Rhys Carre
18. Josh Ibuanokpe
19. Joel Kpoku
20. Sean Reffell
21. Tom Whiteley
22. Max Malins
23. Nick Tompkins
Some light reading from The42′s Murray Kinsella about Munster’s Rory Scannell here.
How do you see this one going? Vote here and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below:
Poll Results:
Fans gearing up for the game in Thomond
🏟 @ThomondStadium ❤️#MUNvSAR #SUAF 🔴 pic.twitter.com/4AiXQXoUu4
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) December 7, 2019
We’re just a few minutes away from kick-off now.
Kick-Off: Munster 0-0 Saracens
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Munster are first up to put in for the line-out as they try to spread the ball out wide quickly and get the home crowd going.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Saracens go on the attack as Alex Lozowski tries to slip the ball through the Munster cover. But the hosts avert the danger and Conor Murray fires the ball clear and finds touch.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Munster earn a penalty for an offside offence by Alex Lewington.
They opt to go for the corner and Niall Scannell will put the ball in from the line-out.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Matt Gallagher gets a good fetch with his back to the ball. Andrew Conway then tries to barrel his way through to make a line break, but he’s held up.
But Munster come again as Rory Scannell feeds the ball out wide to Conway and Saracens are under pressure here.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
They get as far as the five-metre line but they commit a knock-on while trying to seek out a gap to the tryline.
Great work from Keith Earls and Conway to initiate that move.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Saracens win a penalty from the scrum and find touch. But Munster reclaim possession from the line-out.
They’re eager to make up for not profiting from that earlier attack.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Great tackle from Earls on Gallagher sees Munster win a penalty in a really scoreable position.
But it looks like Munster are going for the corner, and a try.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
The hosts thought they were over the line but referee Romain Poite thinks differently and Munster will put in for the scrum.
Munster 0-0 Saracens
Another Munster penalty is awarded and it looks like JJ Hanrahan will kick for the posts and get their scoreboard moving.
It should be an easy tap-over.
Munster 3-0 Saracens
And he makes no mistake as Musnter take the lead.
Munster 3-0 Saracens
CLOSE!
Munster almost got caught there. Richard Barrington pulls a lovely little show and go to gain some yards for Saracens and get them motoring towards the Munster tryline.
A charge down follows but Munster are spared as the referee calls back for an advantage.
Munster 3-0 Saracens
NO TRY!
Munster’s Rory Scannell races over after being put through by Chris Farrell. But the referee rules out the score for a forward pass that was just marginally forward.
Munster 3-0 Saracens
Great work from Gallagher as he accelerates out of the Saracens’ defence. He tries to link up with Ben Spencer but CJ Stander gets in the way and the move results in a scrum for Munster.
TRY! Munster 8-0 Saracens (Peter O’Mahony ’30)
Munster 10-0 Saracens
A Munster try at last.
Brilliant work from the hosts as they recycle the ball out to Earls on the wing. He tries to break through but is held up and Murray comes to feed the ball across to the incoming O’Mahony.
The captain pushes through a gap to touch the ball down and Hanrahan adds the conversion to push Munster further ahead.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
POST!
Saracens had a chance to get their first points from a penalty but Ben Spencer’s shot comes back off the post.
The visitors converge to try and execute a try from the move but they fail to break through.
Spencer gets another chance as the referee awards a penalty and he splits the posts.
Half-Time: Munster 10-3 Saracens
The hosts hold the advantage at the break after an impressive first-half display. But they will feel their dominance in possession deserved more points on the board.
Still, O’Mahony’s try on the half-hour mark separates the sides along with Hanrahan’s conversion and penalty from earlier.
Some highlights from the first-half
Munster 10-3 Saracens
We’re off for the second half.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Maro Itoje knocks the ball on while Saracens are pushing forward after the restart. Murray gets Munster moving from the resultant scrum and fails to find touch as Gallagher gathers the ball.
The move ends with Saracens earning a penalty.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Saracens knock the ball on again within touching distance of the tryline.
Although it’s important to point out that the ball is slippy in a rainy Thomond Park.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
The pace of the game has dropped slightly but Musnter are working through the phases to try and break through the line.
Saracens now have a penalty and they send the ball into the corner to try and seek out a try again.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
The attacks just aren’t coming off as Saracens would like as Spencer’s attempted box kick is way overcooked and bounces out over the endline.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Munster change: John Ryan is on for Stephen Archer.
Saracens change: Rhys Carre replaces Richard Barrington.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Another handling error for Saracens. This time it’s Rotimi Segun who fumbles the ball forward from a Conway clearance.
Munster go for the scum, and some more poor handling follows as Murray’s pass to Conway bounces off his chest.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Another Saracens change: Rotimi Segun makes way for Max Malins.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Hanrahan races in to get a charge down on Mallins’ clearance. The pace of the game might have dipped but Munster will be happy to keep the visitors in their half of the pitch.
The weather conditions are really poor and have impacted on the quality of the game.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
More changes for Munster as we enter the final 10 minutes: Arno Botha and Liam O’Connor come in for CJ Stander and James Cronin.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Another dropped ball. The handling error count reads Munster 9-11 Saracens. That should give you an indication of how bad the weather conditions are.
We’re well inside the final five minutes of the second half.
Red Card: Munster 10-3 Saracens
Arno Botha is dismissed in the final seconds for a head-high challenge while trying to carry the ball forward.
Munster 10-3 Saracens
So the play keeps rolling as Manu Vunipola kicks for the corner. Saracens are looking for the equalising try,
Full-Time: Munster 10-3 Saracens
Munster 10-3 Saracens
Well that was a forgettable second half. The weather took the bite out of that game hugely as neither side managed to add anything to the scoreboard after the restart.
O’Mahony’s try combined with Hanrahan’s conversion and penalty proved to be enough for the win, while Saracens could only muster points from a Ben Spencer penalty.
Well that’s all from us, folks.
Stay tuned for Murray Kinsella’s match report from Thomond Park. But for now, it’s goodbye from us.
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