The Heineken Cup game between Munster and Northampton Saints at Thomond Park, Limerick on Friday Jan 22.
It was neither glorious nor spectacular but crucially for Munster it was enough. They head to the familiar pastures of the quarter-final for the 12th year in a row, surviving a second-half yellow card for their captain, Paul O’Connell, and quelling the resistance of a gutsy, if misfiring, Northampton side. Munster have a home quarter-final to savour.
The Saints, however, did earn a precious bonus point. They await Saturday evening’s result from London Irish with baited breath. The try-count (16 tries) is on their side, but only just. Given that Northampton kicked the ball into touch with the last play showed they were grateful for small mercies.
In truth, they will have tossed and turned through the night, rueing the chance missed when O’Connell was sent to the sin-bin for playing the ball with his hand in a ruck around the hour mark.
The Saints had position, they had Munster under the cosh, their scrum was bucking and creaking, forced to pack down with wing, Doug Howlett hanging on for dear life, and still Northampton could not make it count.
Munster dug deep into their elemental selves, somehow hooking the ball against the head at the fifth re-set scrum and the roars could be heard far out into the Atlantic. It was myth-making stuff. They’ll be writing plays about that scrum in years to come.
Without doubt it was the game’s turning point. On such small margins. Northampton had a sniff of glory but they wilted as a momentous moment beckoned. The killer touch, the decisive blow, the knockout punch – champions deliver. Northampton are not yet at that stage. Conversely, Munster defied the momentum of the moment to escape. They’ve done it so often, and yet still we wonder how. It’s not luck. It’s fortitude and togetherness, a triumph of character and self-belief over logic.
There was sweat and toil to admire from the Saints but crucially, though, there was not the necessary class or composure under duress.
Shane Geraghty was rushed and erratic at key moments, unable to impose himself on proceedings. As a result, there were precious few openings for the free spirits at the rear, the counter-attacking duo of full-back, Ben Foden and Chris Ashton.
“Some of our decision-making wasn’t very good but the sin-binning was a missed opportunity,“ said Northampton head coach, Jim Mallinder, who reported that lock, Christian Day, had been taken to hospital after temporary loss of feeling following a collision. “I think we’ve grown up. We’ve shown we can compete and on another day we would have won that game.“
Munster were grateful to get through. “Northampton were the real deal and can still be a force in the competition,“ said Munster head coach, Tony McGahan.
Munster could rely on traditional virtues: steepling kicks and blood-curdling follow-ups to set the tone. It was brutal and unyielding, with Munster flanker, Alan Quinlan to the fore. But Northampton stood their ground. Both sides were edgy, both intent on sounding out the other. The ball rained down time and again from the skies. Territory was prized real estate.
If there is a Munster fault-line, it’s in their scrummage. Northampton had an edge, winning penalties, the second of which drew blood when Bruce Reihana landed the goal from 45 metres to tie the scores. The first half yielded precious few openings, O’Gara nudging his side in front, 6-3, with a penalty goal a minute from the interval.
Northampton missed a couple early in the second half before Geraghty brought his side level. It wasn’t long before O’Gara tilted the balance back again.
Then came Northampton’s flirtation with destiny as O’Connell trudged to the sidelines. They flunked it.
Stephen Myler got three points back for Northampton but inevitably it was O’Gara who closed out the deal, his fourth penalty once again taking Munster to the promised land.
Match details
Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, J de Villiers, D Hurley; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; W de Preez, D Fogarty, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Wallace.
Subs: D Ryan for O'Callaghan (55), D Varley for Fogarty (55), M Horan for de Preez (67), T Buckley for Hayes (70)
Pens: O'Gara (4)
Yellow card: O'Connell (60)
Northampton Saints: B Foden; C Ashton, J Clarke, J Downey, B Reihana; S Geraghty, L Dickson; S Tongauiha, D Hartley [capt], E Murray, I Fernandez Lobbe, J Kruger, C Lawes, P Dowson, R Wilson.
Subs: C Day for Fernandez Lobbe (55), N Best for Lawes (71), S Myler for Geraghty (71)
Pens: Reihana, Geraghty, Myler
Referee: R Poite (France).
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