Champions Cup Pool 3: Northampton v Munster
Franklin’s Gardens, Saturday, 3.15pm – Live on Premier Sports
Rugby’s version of string theory, albeit mathematics not physics, will untangle the knotty permutations to reveal the last 16 clubs standing in the Champions Cup after this weekend’s action. Top of Munster’s wish list is a victory on Saturday afternoon but there are several other scenarios that while less agreeable would suffice depending on results elsewhere.
Interim head coach Ian Costello must long for the day when his medical team pop in to announce a clean bill of health. Peter O’Mahony and Diarmuid Kilgallen have recovered from their respective injuries, but wing Shane Daly hasn’t passed his return-to-play protocols after picking up a head injury against Saracens.
John Hodnett, superb as a try-scoring replacement the last day, picked up a knock and he too is absent. The upshot is that Kilgallen, whose wrist and leg injuries have limited him to just a single game for Munster since joining from Connacht in the summer, replaces Daly on the left wing.
Diarmuid Barron starts at hooker, with Niall Scannell dropping to the bench, while O’Mahony replaces Jack O’Donoghue at blindside flanker, with the Waterford man named among the replacements. It’s a six-two split on the bench, with Paddy Patterson and Tony Butler acting as backline cover.
Costello will be looking for a quicker and smoother opening rather than having to jump-start the Munster performance. It took them an hour or so to find that consistent rhythm against Saracens, and even then they had to survive a fraught end game.
The team showed character and grit, especially in defence, and one of those who epitomised that ethic and industry was scrumhalf Conor Murray. He covered a multitude in his general play.
The Irish province will be hoping it is a case of third-time lucky as the Saints won the two games last season between the clubs. Munster will draw upon the insider knowledge of Chris Boyd, currently with them as a consultant, having previously been head coach at Northampton.
Murray argues that familiarity is a double-edged sword. “Knowing them provides one thing [in terms of information] but it also makes you aware of how good they are. They are a top side, Premiership champions. Trying to figure out how to stop them, obviously their attacking game is a huge strength.
“I suppose it is dangerous going in thinking that you know them because they have so many variations and so many good ball players, like ([Rory] Hutchinson, Fin Smith and Alex [Mitchell] at nine, people who can take the right option when they are presented with different pictures.
“It is not that they are going to play one particular way, they have a number of ways to attack you so that is part of the challenge this week. You can focus on them as much as you want but we have to show up and play our game.
“We would like to think that we attack a lot and keep the ball in play. Last weekend was a bit different given the conditions and the way Saracens play; this weekend is going to be a completely different prospect.”
All true.
Northampton head coach Sam Vesty has made six changes to the side that were surprisingly beaten 45-35 by Stade Francais in Paris last weekend. Centre Charlie Savala, hooker Henry Walker, secondrow Ed Prose, Wallaby international Angus Scott Young and Henry Pollock either drop to the bench or out of the match day 23, while Scotland’s Rory Hutchinson shifts from outhalf to centre.
England internationals Fraser Dingwall, Fin Smith and Alex Coles return at centre, outhalf and secondrow, while Ulster-bound South African number eight Jaurno Augustus comes into the backrow. The home side has a number of injury issues too, evident in the absence of George Furbank, George Hendy, Emmanuel Iyogun, Temo Mayanavanua, Burger Odendaal and Ollie Sleightholme.
The building blocks of any performance have to be there for Munster from the get-go, a good set piece, solid scrum and lineout – O’Mahony’s return can make a significant difference on both sides of the ball out of touch – discipline at the breakdown and no self-inflicted wounds when it comes to the handling.
Munster had some lovely attacking shape against Saracens at times but dropped passes were a scourge of that ambition. The defence was excellent and will need to be again because the Saints play a wider, more fluent attacking game. The visitors will also have to be better aerially. Saracens won that battle convincingly.
Northampton can be made to look ordinary when denied quick or turnover ball. That’s the goal for Munster: six-point underdogs with everything to play for.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: J Ramm: T Freeman, F Dingwall (capt), R Hutchinson, T Seabrook; F Smith, A Mitchell. T Haffar, C Langdon, T Davison; A Coles, T Lockett; J Kemeny, T Pearson, J Augustus. Replacements: H Walker, T West, L Green, C Hunter-Hill, A Scott-Young, H Pollock, T James, T Litchfield.
MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, R Scannell, D Kilgallen; J Crowley, C Murray; D Bleuler, D Barron, O Jager; F Wycherley, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, A Kendellen, G Coombes. Replacements: N Scannell, J Ryan, S Archer, T Ahern, J O’Donoghue, P Patterson, T Butler, B Gleeson.
Referee: N Amashukeli (Georgia).
Verdict: Northampton to win.
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