By Behind the Bench
January 17 2015

  Saracens’ dominant and powerful display delivered a fine win which narrowly failed to deliver the fourth try the performance richly deserved. Irrespective of that, they now know that a win at Clermont Auvergne will guarantee a Quarter Final place. And with wins in their last two meetings with the French powerhouse, and the belief surely present after a result such as this, it could just happen.  

Alex Goode was fielded at full back, Chris Ashton and Chris Wyles on the wings, the latter a late change for David Strettle, and a centre partnership of Brad Barritt and Marcelo Bosch. Owen Farrell featured at fly half with Richard Wigglesworth completing the backs at scrum half. In the forwards, Mako Vunipola and Petru Du Plessis formed the front row with Jamie George, with Jim Hamilton and Alistair Hargreaves in the second row, and a back row of Kelly Brown, in his 100^th appearance for the club with Jacques Burger and Billy Vunipola, In contrast, Munster had been rocked by the injury of influential scrum half Conor Murray. Their back line saw Felix Jones at full back, with Andrew Conway and Simon Zebo on the wings, and Pat Howard (who featured for Western Province at Allianz Park earlier this season) with Denis Hurley in the centres. Ian Keatley was at fly half with Duncan Williams coming in for Murray at scrum half. In the front row, James Cronin and BJ Botha were either side of hooker Duncan Casey with Dave Foley and Paul O’Connell in the second row, and captain Peter O’Mahony completing the back row with Tommy O’Donnell and CJ Stander

Although Munster caused some early problems for Saracens with a couple of pinched lineouts, this was a misleading pointer of how the match would pan out, as a superior kicking game, territorial advantage, purposeful attack and formidable tackling all combined for a comfortable success.. Indeed, Saracens could have scored a try in the opening few minutes, when, from a Munster scrum on their own 22, Williams’ kick was charged down by Hamilton, but he lacked support as he was dragged into touch, but from a subsequent lineout, the hosts put together a flowing move only to be penalised for holding on. Williams was in trouble again when he dwelt on a long Ashton kick forward, starting a phase of play which concluded with Farrell kicking the opening points of the match after nine minutes. Even when the visitors caused problems, the hosts recovered admirably as a stolen lineout brought a robust answer in the scrum, and won a penalty. With the home side enjoying all the play and territory, it only seemed a matter of time before they claimed the opening try. Just after the quarter hour, the ball was switched from left to right and back again as Bosch and Goode combined to set up Wyles on the left, but he was denied by a tight forward pass call.

However, on 21 minutes it arrived. After Keatley had tried to gain territory with an ambitious long range kick which trickled just the wrong side of the corner flag, his team yet again found themselves deep in their own half. The ball was worked across from the right to find Ashton in lots of space, who spread the ball onto Goode on his left allowing Wyles to finish right onto the left hand corner for a try improved by Farrell. Three minutes later, Ashton conceded a penalty for challenging Zebo in the air, giving the visitors a chance to finally exert some pressure, but knocked on just a few phases later, Saracens forcing a penalty from the consequent scrum. It got even worse for the visitors as their powerful number 8, Stander, was substituted through injury, Dave O’Callaghan coming on as the replacement. When the visitors strayed offside a few minutes later, Farrell added another three points for a 13-0 lead, which was already starting to look ominous, and, should have, in truth, been more by this stage already. Munster got on the scoresheet as Sarries infringed at a scrum and Keatley got the penalty from 40 metres. A rare mistake by the home side, again from a lineout, saw the ball overthrown by George, and O’Donnell surged forward around the back, but the promising spell was abruptly ended by a unforced knock-on by O’Connell.

Saracens took full advantage of the let-off. After opting to run a penalty, Bosch latched onto the ball at pace, and found Wyles on the left flank. Showing impeccable timing to kick the ball through just as he was hauled into touch, the supporting Ashton was able to curve inside to score just to the left of the posts, as Farrell duly converted. And, barring a miracle comeback, which seemed unlikely, given the 40 minutes which had gone before, the contest was practically ended as Farrell took three more points as Saracens ended the half with a 23-3 lead. Of course, Munster had come back from 20 points down to force a 27-26 win at Sale on the opening day of the European season, but, it was hard to envisage how they would do this here, given that they hadn’t entered the home 22 by this stage.

That said, the opening minutes after the break were still crucial in setting the tone. Zebo’s break from his own half finally took Munster into the home danger zone, and the visitors patiently went through the phases, only for it to come to nought, as they conceded the penalty for holding on. However, the match soon regained its first half pattern, with man of the match Billy Vunipola dominant in attack and defence, and, as the bonus point became a realistic target with 30 minutes to go, but Mako Vunipola was put in touch. The home dominance showed no sense of abating, as it was really a question of Munster stemming the flow of the home side, and hoping to counter from it. Farrell stretched the lead still further on 56 minutes, though, for 26-3.

This ushered in a period of play where they hammered the opposition line for the best part of eight minutes, but, peculiarly, opted to kick the points when a penalty was finally awarded, ironically in what was the only miss of the game by either side. Although churlish to criticise given the immensity and intensity of the overall performance, you got the sense that a penalty try and/or sin binning was on its way.  A flurry of substitutions occurred for the last 15 minutes, as Neil De Kock came on for Wigglesworth, and Charlie Hodgson came on for Bosch with Farrell switching to centre. Referee Romain Poite, who was about to be substituted himself, lost patience with the visitors as prop Cronin was sent to the sin bin, and, unsurprisingly, the home side opted for touch, but again, couldn’t get through.

There was a flashpoint between Burger and O’Mahony on half way after Williams had chased Zebo’s kick along the left touchline, although Poite opted for no further action, at this stage, except the penalty to Munster for a late tackle by Billy Vunipola. Finding good distance with the kick, the resultant lineout saw O’Mahony set up Hurley for a try converted by Keatley, but with twelve minutes to go and a 16 point deficit, it seemed too late now for a comeback. Saracens, though, still harboured hopes of the third and fourth tries, and the third duly appeared in the 73rd minute with a truly superb team score, where the ball’s advance from halfway seemed to go through the hands of the whole team, finished off by George’s try scoring pass, on the right flank, to allow Ashton to score just to the right of the posts, cueing rapturous applause from the Saracens’ support. That made it 33-10, but it was all about the fourth try now. There were two more opportunities to snare it, but Farrell just failed to collect a Joubert pass, and, with the home side pressing the line, a knock on closed the match, and the chance was gone.

With the possible exception of the Clermont home match, this was probably the performance of the season so far. Much had been said by both camps about the importance of intensity in this match, well, Saracens were relentless throughout. I said in the preview that Saracens needed to find a way to win, they did far more than that, they made a powerful statement.

Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Barritt (Hodgson 64), Bosch (Ransom 75) Wyles; Farrell, Wigglesworth (De Kock 64); M Vunipola (Barrington 68), George (Sharman 75), Du Plessis (Johnston 68); Hamilton ( Itoje 75), Hargreaves (capt); Brown (Joubert 68), Burger, Vunipola. 

Munster: F Jones; A Conway,  Howard (Earls 47), D Hurley, S Zebo (O Mahony 75); I Keatley (Hanrahan 75), D Williams; J Cronin (O’Donnell 77), D Casey (Guinazu 61), BJ Botha (Archer 61); D Foley (Holland 75), P O'Connell; P O'Mahony (capt), T O'Donnell, (Ryan 68) CJ Stander.

Saracens:-

Tries: Wyles, Ashton (2) Conv: Farrell 3; Pens: Farrell 4

Munster;-

Try: Hurley  Conv: Keatley  Pen: Keatley

Referee:  Roman Poite

Attendance 9,999