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Saracens and Munster have it all to play for when the two sides clash in the second leg of their double-header at Vicarage Road in Watford on Sunday. - 14/12/2012 09:59
Saracens and Munster have it all to play for when the two sides clash in the second leg of their double-header at Vicarage Road in Watford on Sunday.
Munster have reached 13 out of the last 14 Heineken Cup quarter-finals, missing out on the knock-out stages in 2011. Sarries have only reached the last eight of the Heineken Cup twice – including going down 18-16 to Munster at the Ricoh Arena in the 2008 semi-finals.
And the English side will be looking for revenge after their narrow 15-9 defeat to the Munster machine in Thomond Park last Saturday, although Owen Farrell did ensure they returned home with a vital losing bonus point.
The Irish province, who lifted the Heineken Cup in 2006 and 2008, know they need to do the double over the Londoners to really stand the chance of making it to the knock-out stages yet again.
The sides are all-square on 10 points in Pool 1 but have French side Racing Metro 92 breathing down their necks only two points behind them in what is very much a three-horse race for the last eight.
Match Facts
• Fly-half Charlie Hodgson has produced the most try assists so far this season (3).
• Munster have missed only 14 tackles in 240 minutes of Heineken Cup rugby so far this season, fewer than any other team.
• Saracens are the only side in the Heineken Cup that average fewer than 10 points conceded per game so far.
• Munster’s opponents have averaged 196 metres gained so far this season, the Irish outfit are the only side to limit their opponents to under 200 metres per game.
• Saracens have lost all four of their previous clashes with Munster in this tournament. However, these games have been settled by margins of one point (twice), two points and six points.
Saracens clinched a vital 19-13 victory in their return game in Pool 1 over Munster to put the English Premiership outfit at the top of the table and in the driving seat for a quarter-final place. - 16/12/2012 17:09
Saracens clinched a vital 19-13 victory in their return game in Pool 1 over Munster to put the English Premiership outfit at the top of the table and in the driving seat for a quarter-final place.
The Londoners suffered a 15-9 defeat in the first game between the two sides but managed a losing bonus point at Thomond Park. Munster did the same, and came away with a losing bonus point from Watford.
Saracens win means that they, Munster and French side Racing Metro 92 are all still fighting for a lucrative quarter-final place with two rounds in the Pool stages to play in the New Year.
Saracens Owen Farrell and Ronan O’Gara of Munster enjoyed a rare old kicking duel with the Englishman putting his nightmare performance in the first leg to bed to clinch a vital win.
Farrell and O’Gara swapped early penalties before Saracens crossed for the game’s first try after a clever kick by scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth led to wing David Strettle crossing in the corner.
Farrell added the conversion to give the home side a 10-3 lead midway through the second half before the England fly-half through an interception pass which saw wing Doug Howlett finish with a try for Munster.
The former All Blacks wing ran in for his 10th try in the Heineken Cup and fly-half O’Gara added the extras to claw Munster back level at 10-10 at half-time at Vicarage Road.
The veteran Irish international O’Gara and England rookie Farrell then swapped penalties at the start of the second-half before Saracens found themselves down to 14-men.
Flanker Will Fraser was shown a yellow card by French referee Jerome Garces for a high tackle on Munster’s Howlett, but the visitors failed to score a single point during the 10 minutes with an extra man.
O’Gara missed a penalty but Saracens stretchered their lead with a fourth Farrell penalty to secure a vital victory for the English side to keep their qualification hopes alive.
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