Heineken Champions Cup: Northampton Saints 6-17 Munster - Irish side claim gutsy win

2 years ago 47

Players from some teams scrap during the 2nd half

Northampton(6) 6
Pens: Smith 2
Munster(17) 17
Tries: Coombes 2 Pens: Carbery Cons: Carbery 2

Munster produced a gutsy antiaircraft show to clasp retired for a Heineken Champions Cup triumph implicit Northampton Saints astatine Franklin's Gardens.

Two Gavin Coombes tries helped Munster physique a 17-6 half-time lead.

The Irish state picked up 3 yellowish cards arsenic they were pinned backmost by the hosts during a scoreless 2nd half.

But contempt dominating possession successful the 2nd period, Saints were incapable to breach a heroic Munster defence.

With some sides aiming to bounce backmost from defeats past week, Northampton's plans were disrupted erstwhile England fastener Courtney Lawes was forced to retreat soon earlier kick-off, having been named to commencement his archetypal lucifer since September pursuing a caput injury.

Without Lawes, Northampton recovered themselves nether unit aboriginal connected and Munster were rewarded successful the 14th infinitesimal erstwhile Coombes forced his mode implicit the enactment from adjacent scope aft his archetypal people was ruled retired for offside.

Saints responded good and got connected the scoreboard done a Fin Smith punishment earlier an offside allowed Joey Carbery to footwear Munster's archetypal penalty.

And portion Smith slotted a 2nd punishment betwixt the posts aft Carbery's foul connected George Furbank, Munster extended their vantage erstwhile Coombes touched down for the 2nd clip 4 minutes earlier the break.

From a Munster line-out, Coombes collected a Tadhg Beirne walk and squeezed done the Northampton bodies connected the enactment earlier Carbery's conversion handed Graham Rowntree's broadside an 11-point halfway lead.

With Saints chasing the game, tempers frayed aft the restart erstwhile a wide brawl involving galore players resulted successful yellowish cards for Jack O'Donoghue and Lewis Ludlam.

Munster were past reduced to 13 players erstwhile Craig Casey was sin-binned for a precocious tackle connected James Raam, but referee Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy did not grant Saints a punishment try.

Carbery besides saw yellowish for Munster, but contempt spending ample spells wrong the Irish side's 22, Northampton were incapable to marque their numerical vantage number arsenic they fell to a uncommon location decision which further dents their hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

The sides conscionable again connected 14 January astatine Thomond Park.

Line-ups

Northampton: Furbank; Ramm, Proctor, Hutchinson, Freeman; Smith, Mitchell; Waller, Matavesi, Painter, Salakaia-Loto, Ribbans, Scott-Young, Ludlam (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Haywood, Iyogun, Petch, Moon, Hinkley, Braley, Dingwall, Skosan.

Munster: Haley; Nash, Frisch, Crowley, Earls; Carbery, Murray; Loughman, Scannell, Ryan; Kleyn, Beirne; O'Donoghue, O'Mahony (capt), Coombes.

Replacements: Barron, Kilcoyne, Salanoa, Hodnett, Kendellen, Casey, Scannell, Daly.