European Rugby Champions Cup: Munster grind out victory over Saracens
Last Updated: 24/10/14 10:23pm
Munster took control of European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 1 with a 14-3 victory over Saracens at Thomond Park.
The Irish side were fortunate to grab a last-gasp victory at Sale in week one, but looked much more like two-time former European champions on home soil.
Ian Keatley kicked two penalties and a drop-goal for the hosts, but the crucial moment came mid-way through the second half after Rhys Gill was sin-binned for a tip-tackle.
Andrew Conway looked to have scored in the corner with a fine finish, but his effort was inexplicably chalked off by the TMO.
However Munster already had a penalty and after kicking for touch, replacement prop Dave Kilcoyne was driven over from the resulting lineout.
Saracens barely threatened the Munster line and had to settle for a solitary Owen Farrell penalty in the first half; missing out on even a losing bonus point may prove crucial in a Pool which also includes French side Clermont Auvergne.
The expectant home crowd had to wait until the 26th minute for Keatley's opening penalty which the returning Farrell cancelled out in a first half that had no clean line-breaks.
The Munster fly-half made it 6-3 in the 53rd minute following Gill's yellow card, and Kilcoyne crossed from an advancing maul against 14-man Sarries.
With man-of-the-match Conor Murray marshaling the hosts from scrum-half, Munster sealed their second Pool 1 win thanks to Keatley's second drop-goal of the tournament.
This fascinating round two tie remained scoreless in an edgy opening quarter, Marcelo Bosch sending a long range penalty narrowly wide and Keatley's 11th-minute effort from closer in hitting the post.
The onrushing Andrew Conway knocked on as he attempted to gather the loose ball from Keatley's missed kick and Saracens survived thanks to a solid follow-up scrum.
The Limerick drizzle made for a greasy ball and the aerial route was understandably favoured by both sides. Munster had a rare sniff of the try-line when Murray wormed his way through after a maul was held up, but busy winger Conway was quickly closed down for a relieving Sarries penalty.
Keatley rewarded his pack for a ground-gaining maul by slotting the first points close to the half hour mark, a deserved lead given Munster's territorial dominance.
The visitors should have been level following some forceful driving from their own pack, but Farrell's lack of recent game-time was evident when he hooked a kickable penalty wide.
The England international made no such mistake with his second attempt, this time from the right, after Billy Vunipola had carried four times in a promising attacking spell.
Confidence
Sarries drew confidence from a late Keatley penalty miss and Alex Goode and Chris Ashton combined for a welcome midfield break early on the resumption.
Ashton grew in influence as the black shirts bludgeoned forward, however Munster relieved the pressure with a scrum penalty and some textbook tackling.
Gill's 51st-minute sin-binning - awarded for recklessly tipping CJ Stander over in an attempt to clear out a ruck - allowed Munster to hit back and Keatley booted them back in front.
A weaving run from Conway kept the hosts on the front foot, and Saracens could not hold out. Television match official Eric Gauzins denied Conway what seemed a legitimate try as he squeezed over in the right corner past David Strettle.
It was a stay of execution for Sarries, though, as Munster used the resulting penalty to power forward from a close-in lineout for replacement prop Kilcoyne to crash over. Keatley narrowly missed the difficult conversion.
Half-backs Keatley and Murray increased their influence with some pinpoint kicking, the former clipping over a drop goal from inside the 22 to stretch the lead to 11 points.
Kilcoyne won a scrum penalty which should have led to another three points but Keatley fluffed his lines, ending the night with a frustrating two-from-six return from the tee.