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Munster know they have a battle on their hands in their back-to-back clashes with Pool leaders Saracens - a club with genuine designs on being a superpower in European rugby. - 07/12/2012 07:00
Munster know they have a battle on their hands in their back-to-back clashes with Pool leaders Saracens – a club with genuine designs on being a superpower in European rugby.
The English side, who are unbeaten after victories over France’s Racing Metro 92 and Edinburgh Rugby, will have ambitions of lowering the colours at one of the fortresses of Europe.
Sarries may well be second in the English Premiership, but they have never beaten Munster in Europe, losing all three of their previous meetings with their last defeat back in 2008.
Munster, who are fourth in the Pro12, will be aware they are slipping off the radar with many looking at reigning champions Leinster and last season’s finalists Ulster as, not just flagbearers for Irish rugby, but potential winners of the tournament.
Saracens fly-half Charlie Hodgson, who is the tournament’s leading scorer after the first two rounds with 40 points, will want to remind everybody what he has to offer after the heroics of team-mate Owen Farrell with England.
Ronan O’Gara, the grandmaster of fly-halves at European level, will be looking to make sure that Munster, winners in 2006 and 2008, qualify for the tournament’s quarter-finals.
The red machine reached last season’s knock-out stages, only to suffer the indignity of being knocked out by fellow Irish province Ulster, and will want to remind everybody of their pedigree in Europe.
But both Munster and Saracens will be keeping a keen eye on Racing Metro’s back-to-back games with Edinburgh and be wary of the threat to their qualification hopes posed by the French side.
Match Facts
• Saracens have a 100% success rate at the lineout this season (on their own throw), retaining ball on all 23 throws so far as well as stealing a competition high six opposition throws.
• Munster are also joint-top of the lineouts stolen chart, averaging three per game themselves.
• Munster have retained possession at 97% of rucks and mauls, a tournament high.
• Charlie Hodgson is the top points scorer after two rounds, scoring 40 so far including one try, seven conversions and seven penalties.
Munster demonstrated their love affair with the Heineken Cup with a hard-fought victory over Saracens to keep their quarter-final hopes very much alive. - 08/12/2012 19:54
Munster demonstrated their love affair with the Heineken Cup with a hard-fought victory over Saracens to keep their quarter-final hopes very much alive.
Saracens, who have made no secret of their ambitions in Europe this season, came into the game unbeaten but could only manage a losing bonus point against a typically aggressive Munster side on their home patch.
Fly-half Ronan O’Gara, once again, was the difference between the two sides and he finished with a personal tally of 15 points with the boot to put Munster joint top of Pool 1.
Owen Farrell, a hero for England in their victory over the All Blacks last weekend, left his kicking boots in London and missed four vital penalties which would have made a real difference for the visitors in Limerick.
Veteran Ireland playmaker O’Gara gave Munster an early 3-0 lead as the home side threw themselves at their English visitors in trademark fashion in front of a partisan Thomond Park crowd.
Munster brought their own unique brand of intense mayhem to bear on their visitors and it did spill over at times, with Saracens prop Rhys Gill and Munster’s Irish international lock Donncha O’Callaghan both sin-binned during the first-half.
While both sides were down to 14-men, O’Gara slotted over a second penalty to stretch Munster’s lead before centre Farrell made amends for an earlier penalty miss to claw his side back to within three points.
But Munster were six points to the good again by the break as O’Gara’s ever reliable boot saw him make it 9-3 at half-time with his third penalty.
Farrell replied with his second just three minutes after the restart – 60 seconds after missing another – but O’Gara pushed the home side further ahead when he landed two more penalties to make it 15-6 after 53 minutes.
Sarries flanker Will Fraser thought he had crossed for the game’s first try midway through the second half but a superb tackle by Munster wing Simon Zebo pushed him into touch at the corner flag.
Farrell was off target with two attempts after O’Gara’s last effort but he did at least manage to slot over a third penalty with two minutes remaining to ensure Saracens went home with a losing bonus point ahead of the return fixture at Vicarage Road next Sunday.
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