Munster v Saracens Report
Wild celebrations
By saracensfan62
January 12 2025
If I had to sum up today’s game in one word, that one word would be cagey. On a bitterly cold and misty evening, Munster and Saracens did battle at the famed rugby temple of ‘Fortress Thomond’. As the fans belted out Stand up and Fight and Fields of Athenry, the players walked out to a wall of noise and flames licked the air. It was certainly a special occasion of significance to both teams. A win for Sarries would confirm a home RO16 tie and Munster were in desperate need of some points following a disappointing away loss to Castres a month ago. A very difficult stadium to play in, we always knew the environment of Thomond Park would be a challenge to younger players and those not used to the ferocity of it. McCall even issued a statement on the social media pages about it midweek.
First Half
Saracens kicked off, playing from right to left, and immediately regained possession from the kick off. They capitalized on early pressure, with Alex Lozowski converting a penalty for a Munster offside, putting Saracens ahead 3-0 just two minutes in. Another Lozowski penalty extended the lead to 6-0 after Munster were penalized at the breakdown for not releasing the tackler.
The game entered a cagey period, dominated by box kicking and limited phase play, as both teams waited for errors from their opposition. On 24 minutes, Munster turned over Saracens near the halfway line and advanced into the Saracens 22. After a well-executed lineout, Rory Scannell’s carry ended with a knock-on. However, referee Pierre Brousset awarded Munster an unexplained penalty before the scrum could even take place, to the confusion of the Saracens fans, which Jack Crowley duly converted to narrow the gap to 6-3.
Saracens regained momentum late in the half, but a promising attack faltered as Liam Williams knocked on after a deft chip over the Munster defense. Conor Murray relieved pressure with a clearance kick, and the first half ended with Saracens leading 6-3.
Second Half
The second half began positively for Saracens, with Finn Wycherley penalized for failing to roll away after a strong carry by Ben Earl. From 47 meters, Elliot Daly’s kick sailed over with ease, extending Saracens’ lead to 9-3.
Munster responded with intent, introducing reinforcements like Tom Ahern and Stephen Archer. A lineout infringement by Maro Itoje on the Saracens 10-meter line gave Jack Crowley a chance to close the gap, but his long-distance effort went just wide. Saracens then entered the Munster 22, but Burke’s missed drop goal let the hosts off the hook.
Moments later, Munster capitalized on Saracens' lapses. Tadhg Beirne and Gavin Coombes made powerful carries, setting up prop Dian Bleuler to dive over from close range. Crowley’s conversion gave Munster the lead for the first time, 10-9. Shortly afterward, a cross-kick from Crowley to Scannell exposed Saracens’ defensive gaps. Scannell’s inside pass found fellow centre Farrell, who offloaded to John Hodnett for a well-worked try. Despite a valiant effort and a tap tackle by Liam Williams, Hodnett just about grounded the ball. Crowley’s flawless conversion extended the lead to 17-9, a gap Saracens couldn’t close despite Lozowski’s late penalty and a late drama which involved plenty of knock-ons. Thank you to the lovely Munster fans who made us feel really welcome. Their passion and enthusiasm is fantastic. The fans do the club credit.
Key Players
Tadhg Beirne – back to his disruptive best, Beirne was at the forefront of everything good for Munster. He was impressive both in leading the defensive line (which was outstanding all afternoon) and at the lineout. Deservingly he received the man of the match award.
Ben Earl – worked hard all afternoon, but despite his efforts and gainline successes, he was offered little or no support from his fellow players and many of the attacks he was part of faltered away.
Gavin Coombes – of course Coombes was essential in setting up the first try for Bleuler, however his contribution and work rate around the field was exceptional.
Phil Brantingham – deserves a mention for his efforts, despite being subbed off fairly early in the second half. His scrummaging was impressive and he showed his talents in the loose throughout the evening.
Conclusion
This win places Munster in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages, while Saracens will look to secure their home tie in the next round when they return to the StoneX Stadium next Sunday to play Castres Olympique. We will need a big win to maximise our chances of the home playoff spot, given how tight the top 4 are in Pool C.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:26:08:27:09 by Darraghgirl.
Don’t think it fair to say Ben Earl was a lone force in attack. Tom Willis carried hard but now clearly a marked man.
It was frustrating to have to he TMO intervene suggesting a croc roll on Willis when there clearly wasn’t one, and Carley today in the La Rochelle game asking the ref to look at a nothing incident in the 78th minute well behind where a penalty had already been given.
Too often we are relying on Willis to make us hard yards through contact when, as you say, he is now a marked-man and Munster did well by shutting him down. I did not say Earl was a lone force, more that when he made gainline success, there was a lack of support from fellow players and we conceded turnovers.
It was a shame that the TMO and touch judges failed to intervene at the breakdown and with the offside line. Both Munster and Sarries were offside more times than I can remember and weren't penalised for it.
Another thought was how blunt our attack looked, especially at 9 and our centre pairing. Lozowski kicked very well but had butter fingers, Tompkins was pretty anonymous throughout most of the match. Olly Hartley made a good impact when he came on and I'd like to see him starting in the future. IvZ's game seems to have significantly slowed because he was, at times, pedestrian to the breakdown and it wasn't uncommon for it to be 4/5 seconds before he passed the ball from when the ruck was formed, giving time for the Munster defence to set up properly.
Given he was playing his first big away fixture, he deserves more plaudits.
He did a lot of grunt work and put in a big shift.
Onwards - looking forward to the Castres game which should now be a full on affair after their result over the Bulls.
Quote:Strangelove
I have to say, the Munster European kit looks like their normal kit that has faded in the wash! If I were a Munster fan I would not like it!
Yup, we hate it !
Quote:Stumpy7780
A win with a BP and a margin of victory 2 points bigger than Northampton or Munster gives us 2nd place in the pool and depending on the other games result potentially 1st place
A win of any sort gives us 2nd place as Munster are playing Saints so they can’t both win! If Saints win at home and don’t get the Try Bonus Point then you are right that a win with a try bonus and 2 more points difference compared to Saints would be enough to go top! So it depends which type of team Castres send as they are a bit variable.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:17:13:07:27 by Sarriebone.
