Seabrook hat-trick helps Saints edge Munster in thriller

Pool 3 of the Investec Champions Cup

Northampton Saints: (12) 34

Tries: Seabrook 3, Langdon, Ramm Cons: Smith 3 Pen: Smith

Munster: (15) 32

Northampton Saints edged a thriller with Munster to claim top spot in Pool 3 and a home draw in the Investec Champions Cup final 16. Tom Seabrook scored a stunning hat-trick.

After some clever hands by the hosts, the winger scored the opening try out wide on his only second Saints start in more than a year.

Munster responded through Calvin Nash, who sprinted past an unaware Alex Mitchell to claim Conor Murray’s box-kick for a fine try in a game dominated by wingers with finishing prowess.

Moments later, after Munster threw the ball through Munster’s hands and the wing was unable to dive over it with his glove, Jack Crowley’s penalty stretched the visitors’ lead.

Before the break, Saints attempted to regain momentum, and Munster succumbed to Gavin Coombes’ sin-bin allowing Curtis Langdon to dot down from the bottom of the rolling maul.

At the break, Seabrook collected James Ramm’s superb looping pass to cross for his second try, but the hosts were still three points clear.

Following Fin Smith’s cunning tip pass to seal the bonus, full-back Ramm transformed into a finisher as he burst through the Munster defense.

Munster were not done there, however, as winger Diarmuid Kilgallen latched on to a sublime no-look round-the-back pass by Murray to open his account for the Irish province.

When Seabrook completed his treble after a first-phase attack from the line-out freed him on the inside, Saints took control once more.

Munster held on to their resolve, and Kilgallen doubled Kilgallen’s tally at the other end, before Crowley’s superb conversion from the left-field drags the visitors to within two points.

Munster poured forward in the tense finale and persevered through the phases following a Crowley break as Saints remained unflinching in the hopes of surpassing Northampton in the table and clinching home advantage should they advance.

As many of the players who were present at Twickenham on that famous day paraded the trophy at half-time, Northampton won their first Champions Cup title with a 9-8 victory over Munster in 2000. The club were eager to celebrate as they won it for the first time in 2000.

Although their most recent meeting with the Irish province won’t have as much of an impact on the club’s history, it will be one of the most well-known European displays at the Gardens.

Before a ball was kicked, as Bulls had earlier in the day, both teams had sealed their fate in the knockout stages, but there was no shortage of intent after the whistle whistled first from referee Nika Amashukeli.

Seabrook and Munster made it two tries before Munster, aided by their vociferous traveling support, moved in.

As the Saints scrum-half jogged back and took the ball as Nash raced past Mitchell on the inside, the Ireland wing caught Mitchell for his first. He anticipated scoring from a close-range overlap before moving infield to rush onto a Crowley pass and dive over for his second, which he was equally aware of.

The Premiership champions took control after the break when Langdon’s score reduced the deficit until half-time.

After a masterful build-up play, which saw Saints attack coach Sam Vesty kicking the air in appreciation, Seabrook and Ramm scored, but Munster never managed to leave quietly.

With a powerful line inside Murray’s goal, former Ulsterman Kilgallen knew what he was trying to do, and the crowd’s red shirts reverberated.

Seabrook completed his hat-trick soon after, with a pre-planned attack straight off the training paddock but Kilgallen’s run-in set up a tense finale.

Munster advanced ahead of them and gave themselves a second chance before the Saints defense took control and put an end to the game.

The game was a genuine game because Munster fans and players put a lot of effort into it.

“We saw how crucial home advantage was last year when we watched Munster in the last 16.” You have a significant home advantage because you are at the top of Europe.

Replacements: Walker, West, Green, Hunter-Hill, Scott-Young, Pollock, James, Litchfield.

Munster: Haley, Nash, Farrell, Scannell, Kilgallen, Crowley, Murray, Bleuler, Barron, Jager, Wycherley, Beirne (capt), O’Mahony, Kendellen, Coombes.

Replacements: Scannell, Ryan, Archer, Ahern, O’Donoghue, Patterson, Burns, Gleeson.