Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

An 82nd-minute red card sours Munster win over Saracens

Arno Botha is sent off

An 82nd-minute red card left a sour taste in the mouth as Munster overcame Saracens 10-3 in a scrappy Heineken Champions Cup contest at a weather-beaten Thomond Park.

ADVERTISEMENT

O’Mahony’s 30th-minute touchdown – adding to JJ Hanrahan’s five points from the tee – was all the hosts could muster from their first half wind advantage and a two-thirds share of both possession and territory.

Ben Spencer kicked a penalty for Saracens.

The driving wind and rain became much bigger factors during an error-strewn second half, the ball becoming a veritable bar of soap.

Spencer suffered his second penalty miss and Munster stood firm despite replacement Arno Botha’s 80th-minute red card for leading with a forearm into Nick Tompkins.

Despite a number of notable absentees, the defending European champions still travelled with a team that contained players of the quality of captain Brad Barritt, Alex Lozowski, who led them out on the occasion of his 100th cap, and formidable locks Maro Itoje and Will Skelton.

It was nip and tuck early on, Sarries winning the first scrum penalty before Munster disrupted the visitors’ lineout, and Chris Farrell and Keith Earls increased the pressure with a couple of clever kicks in behind.

Munster went for the corner from a subsequent penalty, and after Tadhg Beirne was held up, Hanrahan took the three points courtesy of a 17th-minute scrum infringement.

ADVERTISEMENT

Prop Richard Barrington’s show-and-go got the visitors on the move, but they needed a Farrell knock-on to deny Rory Scannell a try at the other end.

Having foiled a threatening counter-attack from Matt Gallagher, Munster’s first touchdown duly arrived on the half-hour mark.

Lifting the pace, centre Scannell’s pinpoint pass invited Earls to cut inside and the quick ball, a few metres out, allowed Conor Murray to put his skipper stretching over.

Hanrahan nailed the tricky conversion for a double-figures lead, although Saracens enjoyed the stronger finish to the half.

ADVERTISEMENT

Scrum-half Spencer hit the post with a penalty effort, Munster failed to clear with a Farrell shank, and Barrington seized possession which led to Spencer punishing an offside with three points.

With the weather conditions deteriorating considerably on the restart, Saracens got their big carriers on the ball but again Spencer lashed a penalty against the post.

Skelton then lost the ball in contact near the Munster line, before Nick Isiekwe’s charge-down on Murray went dead.

While Munster’s Mike Haley coped well with the slippery ball from a couple of kicks, retaining possession and building attacks was proving very difficult, especially with both lineouts under pressure on a very tough night for hookers.

Defences continued to be on top during a tense final quarter, with some terrific maul defence from Jack O’Donoghue and Billy Holland lifting the Irish province, while Itoje and company won the breakdown battle to send Sarries back downfield.

Mark McCall’s men had one last-gasp opportunity, afforded to them by South African Botha’s foul play highlighted by a TMO review.

Botha was sent off for the elbow to the throat of Nick Tompkins.

However, O’Donoghue came up with a vital lineout steal, with the the result keeping Munster second in Pool Four ahead of next Saturday’s rematch at Allianz Park.

Press Association

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video

South Africa vs Black Ferns XV | Women's International | Full Match Replay

Play Video

England vs Spain | Women's International | Full Match Replay

Play Video

Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | Second Match | Full Match Replay

Play Video

Ireland vs Scotland | Women's International | Full Match Replay

Play Video

Should the Lions’ last-minute try have stood? | Whistle Watch

Play Video

Lions Share | Episode 6

Play Video

KOKO Show | July 29th | George Gregan Stops by to lift spirits after the MCG Madness

Play Video

Historic Lions Series win at the MCG | Ep 7: The Ultimate Test

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

Comments on RugbyPass

I
IkeaBoy 3 hours ago
British & Irish Lions player ratings vs Wallabies | 3rd Test 2025 Lions series

The seats at the top table are really the Top 4 and ABs, Boks, France have consistently been there when dominating and when rebuilding. It used to be Wales but it’s interchangeable now between us and England. I don’t see us sustaining that while rebuilding.


The central contracts only cover 14 players at the moment but they tend to be 3 year contracts. Say a typical one is €1 million, it will pay €300k in year one and two then €400k in the final year which is the pay dirt. If you’ve a handful of 32-34 years olds still to hit their final year, they will be tough to shift. Even if their form nosedives, the IRFU isn’t going to pay them to sit out 5-6 tests per calendar year. There were a few lads - warriors in their day - who stayed a year too long recently.


We could live with a loss to SA in Nov but it would still need to be close. I think they could blow us away and if it’s another loss to the ABs, then the recent closeness of that fixture is dust.


We still need to settle on a starting/benching #10, adjust to benching JGP rather than starting, at least 2/3 new prospects for the centres and back younger wingers. Up front we are at crisis point with our lack of depth at prop and Porter will now have to change how he scrums. All of his set piece work is now back to square one.


We need to get going with it, JW! We’ve a quarter final to lose in 2027!!!!

31 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Scott Robertson names his 36-man All Blacks squad for Rugby Championship 36-man All Blacks squad for Rugby Championship named