Munster v Northampton: Five takeaways as Saints overcome controversial red card with Fin Smith steering them to victory

Following Northampton Saints’ stunning 26-23 victory over Munster at Thomond Park, here are our five takeaways from the thrilling Investec Champions Cup clash.

Lively start and action-packed first 40

Just before kickoff, Storm Isha arrived early at Thomond Park,

but she left just as quickly, leaving the pitch somewhat damp.

Although there were still heavy winds, they fortunately did not ruin another exciting and action-packed Investec Champions Cup night at Thomond Park.

After winning all three of their prior games and earning bonus points from two,

Northampton Saints entered Limerick as the top team in Pool 3. However,

any illusions they had about this encounter being an easy one against an injured Munster team were quickly dashed in the first few minutes.

The 20,000-strong audience erupted in cheers as Peter O’Mahony charged into a ruck,

won a turnover, and awarded the penalty. It was obvious that the visitors were in for a rough night.

Alex Mitchell sniped through to score the first try for the visitors,

who took the lead despite early pressure from the hosts. Munster used Jack Crowley’s boot to force their way back into the match,

and they scored once Saints were reduced to 14 men.

When Antoine Frisch took advantage of a dangerous position with a fun angle,

Munster took the lead again.

Munster took the lead after Saints’ red card—more on that later—and O’Mahony smashed the ball across the goal line to put Munster ahead 15–7 at halftime.

Curtis Langdon’s red card

There was great controversy surrounding this game,

when Curtis Langdon, the hooker for the Northampton Saints, was sent off after he gave Munster’s Thomas Ahern a knee to the face during a ruck.

Ahern made a tackle,

but as he went down, he struck Langdon’s leg with his face.

The Saints front-rower then rushed forward and locked onto the Munster lock after he hit the deck.

Depending on which side’s supporters you question,

the decision has proven to be extremely divisive,

but in this instance, we believe referee Tual Trainini and his TMO Eric Gauzins made the right choice.

This is undoubtedly one of those situations where it appears like a red card the more you observe the event.

This one should have also been replayed in real time,

so maybe that’s the result of the replays being in slow motion.

In any case, momentum doesn’t seem to be going Langdon’s knee forward,

and the Saints forward’s argument isn’t helped by the fact that he holds Ahern’s back and glances down before his leg goes forward.

Fans and athletes may debate intent in situations like these,

but as referee Trainini noted while issuing the card,

“First contact was accidental; second, we can’t say it was intentional, but it was reckless,”

intent really matters nothing.

Although Langdon is the only one who can confirm or deny intent,

it was undoubtedly careless and deserving of a red card.

Brilliant fly-halves: Jack Crowley and Fin Smith

Superb fly-halves: Fin Smith and Jack Crowley

The significance of the two fly halves cannot be overstated,

even though a large portion of the match was determined early on.

Munster’s Crowley kicked out of control brilliantly,

albeit he naturally battled due to the conditions.

He hit Frisch with a fantastic pass. He booted effectively enough to keep the Saints inside their half for the majority of the game.

This time, though, Fin Smith—a player aiming for an England debut during the Six Nations—outperformed him. Smith was a strong competitor and the obvious runner-up,

but Courtney Lawes was declared man of the match following yet another outstanding performance.

He scored an incredible drop goal to narrow Munster’s advantage to four points,

which Crowley quickly overturned. He also assisted in the conversion of a crucial penalty,

kicked his team to within five meters of the spot where Sam Graham would later score the game-winning try, and added extras.

It was the first in what may turn out to be a protracted international rivalry,

and it was a tantalizing head-to-head match full of turns and turns for both young playmakers.

Although they will have stiff competition for the Test jersey, they are both undoubtedly up to the task.

Old dogs and fired up omitted star

The forwards would always have a significant say in the result of the game because of the second half’s torrential downpour,

and two men—two one-club icons—rose to the occasion and raised their hands.

As his current contract at Munster approaches its expiration,

O’Mahony reignited the controversy surrounding his contract status.

As always, he played a fierce defense, was strong while handling the ball

, and excelled in the lineout. The veteran’s incredible performance culminated in a fantastic week that ended with a standing ovation as he left the field.

Bottom line

While Graham Rowntree’s team will be happy that they did just enough to go to the round of 16,

Munster will be disappointed that they let the victory slip away from them. This is because they lost their bonus point.

Ahern leaving the game after taking a hard blow to the head and Simon Zebo appearing uneasy as he left the field did not help the already long injury list.

In terms of the Saints,

their triumph in Limerick is just another indication of their intentions during an incredible season.

They have won four out of four games in the Investec Champions Cup and are atop the Premiership standings.

They defeated Toulon and earned a bonus point in the process,

leaving Glasgow with a victory—a challenging place to do so.

They beat Bayonne last week to complete a hat-trick of victories,

and then they appeared to lock up first place in the pool with the tenacious and valiant victory at Thomond Park.

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