Investec Champions Cup: Northampton 24-14 Munster – 4-try Saints attain quarters

Northampton Saints beat two-time winners Munster in a breathless show of rugby to arrange a Champions Cup quarter-final in opposition to the Bulls.

Munster’s Mike Haley and Saints’ Tommy Freeman traded tries to degree up the scores at half-time.

However George Hendy’s two second-half scores sealed an excellent Saints win.

Phil Dowson’s facet, who lifted the trophy in 2000, arrange a house quarter-final in opposition to South Africa’s Bulls subsequent weekend.

The Bulls, within the final eight for the primary time, will journey to Franklin’s Gardens to tackle a facet now with 5 wins from 5 within the competitors, and in superb attacking kind.

Munster and Saints mild up Champions Cup

These two groups contested one other very good match in January, with Northampton securing a dramatic 26-23 victory at Thomond Park within the pool levels, taking part in the second half with 14 gamers after Curtis Langdon’s purple card.

Maybe with revenge for that defeat in thoughts, Munster started the match at tempo, with a number of phases of fast ball delivered by scrum-half Craig Casey till Lewis Ludlam held the ball up over the tryline.

However this Saints facet – prime of the English Premiership – relish high-pace video games and have been quickly down the opposite finish, poking and prodding till full-back Ramm was put via a spot for the sport’s first strive.

The reply got here from O’Brien, in as a late alternative, the wing selecting a brief line off Alex Nankivell to go below the posts.

The match swung from finish to finish however Munster’s energy recreation overwhelmed the house defence as soon as once more, Haley’s fast pick-up ending off a succession of assaults.

Saints’ second arrived by way of a flowing transfer off the again of a scrum, Sam Graham making yards earlier than Courtney Lawes handed on to Fin Smith, with Freeman in off his wing right into a yawning hole to attain.

The edges went in at 14-14 at half-time and the second half grew to become an arm-wrestle, till alternative wing Hendy bought the decisive strive on the hour.

The strike play from Saints’ 22 started with a wise delayed cross from England fly-half Smith and Ollie Sleightholme breaking down the appropriate, earlier than Hendy scored together with his first contact.

The alternative quickly had an excellent second rating, stepping spherical a greedy defender and holding off Simon Zebo to seal Saints’ place within the subsequent spherical.

Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall, Odendaal, Sleightholme; Smith, James; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Moon, Coles, Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Graham

Replacements: Matavesi, Waller, Hill, Mayanavanua, Scott-Younger, Augustus, Mitchell, Hendy

Munster: Haley; Zebo, Frisch, Nankivell, O’Brien; Crowley, Casey; Loughman, Scannell, Archer, Beirne (capt), Ahern, O’Mahony, Hodnett, Coombes

Replacements: Clarke, Wycherley, Donnelly, O’Donoghue, Kendellen, Murray, Carbery, McCarthy

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)