Munster move above Saracens with Thomond Park win

Pool 3 of the Investec Champions Cup

Munster (3) 17

Tries: Bleuler, Hodnett Pen: Crowley Cons: Crowley 2

Saracens (6) 12

With a crucial victory over Saracens at Thomond Park, Munster resurrected in the second half to resurrect their Investec Champions Cup campaign.

Two Alex Lozowski penalties gave three-time champions Saracens a 6-3 lead at half-time as they targeted a third straight win in this season’s competition.

After suffering a disappointing defeat by Castres last time out, tries from Dian Bleuler and John Hodnett in five second-half minutes gave the Premiership side a welcome boost.

Munster’s win edges them ahead of Saracens in second on points difference, a point behind Northampton Saints, with one pool round remaining.

These sides have produced some classic encounters through the years, but Saturday’s meeting – their first since 2019 – was for the most part a scrappy affair, with a raft of handling errors reflecting the tricky conditions.

The first half delivered just three penalties, two for Lozowski and one from Jack Crowley, who was in the thick of the action during the opening 40 minutes.

The Ireland fly-half’s handling cost him the opportunity to score a stunning try after earlier spilling a high ball and having a kick drilled down that brought Saracens close to the Munster try-line.

Crowley saw a gap in the visitors’ defense as he chipped the ball over Liam Williams’ head before crashing the ball down on the line.

Elliot Daly put Saracens ahead 9-3 in the second half, but Munster stayed clear with a devastating one-two punch after both teams failed to add more points with missed kicks from Crowley and Fergus Burke.

After Gavin Coombes sent Munster to the Saracens line, Bleuler did so from close range on the hour mark, and Crowley’s conversion gave the hosts the first lead.

When Hodnett broke through to finish off a strong move from injured Munster, who were missing Craig Casey and Peter O’Mahony, Thomond Park erupted five minutes later.

Replacement back row Hodnett, who scored two tries in the loss at Castres, survived a last-ditch Williams tap-tackle to finish and open up a 17-9 lead.

Saracens were not done, though. Saracens pressed for a dramatic late try after Lozowski’s third penalty, but the visitors’ desperate attempt was met with a promising turn when Wales international Williams spilled the ball just outside the line.

Replacements: D Barron, J Ryan, S Archer, T Ahern, J Hodnett, P Patterson, B Burns, B Gleeson.

Saracens: E Daly, L Williams, A Lozowski, N Tompkins, L Cinti, F Burke, I van Zyl, P Brantingham, J George, M Riccioni, M Itoje (capt), H Wilson, JM Gonzalez, B Earl, T Willis.

Replacements: T Dan, E Mawi, A Clarey, M Eke, N Michelow, G Simpson, O Hartley, T Elliott.