Monday, January 25, 2010
Munster and Northampton battle it out
It was a game of penalties at Thomond Park as Ronan OGara eased the pressure for the home side with four penalties, while Bruce Reihana, Shane Geraghty, and Stephen Myler kicked a penalty each for the Saints.
"They were excellent tonight, the lads showed what it means for them to play for Munster, to dig in and find a way out like that," Munster coach Tony McGahan said after the tough encounter.
"It was a real battle out there this evening with every metre, every kick, everything meaning something. Northampton are an excellent side and a well coached piece, we had to fight for everything.
"We were under severe pressure at that stage in the second half. We kicked the ball out on the full. We had a few issues in the scrum and Paul O'Connell was off for 10 minutes.
"To dog it out and find a way out... We worked extremely hard on the floor. We got turnover ball, were lucky enough to get it down field and then get three points.
"We always had belief. We have said that many a time that we are always able to come back from any situation, he said.
Theyve earned themselves a home quarter final as a result, ironically up against the same team once again, as Saints also qualified, thanks to their losing bonus point and the results of other matches.
Northampton advanced as one of the two best runners-up and are the only English Premiership side in the last eight.
Time: 05:00
Note: Better highlights will be posted later in the week if possible
Posted at 11:33 am | 84 comments
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Viewing 84 comments
Anonymous January 25, 2010 11:56 am

Anonymous January 25, 2010 11:56 am

b foden January 25, 2010 12:05 pm

b foden January 25, 2010 12:05 pm

Anonymous January 25, 2010 12:20 pm

Anonymous January 25, 2010 12:20 pm

MCB January 25, 2010 12:44 pm

Tough match, Saints didn't take their chances. Quarter final will be close match
MCB January 25, 2010 12:44 pm

Tough match, Saints didn't take their chances. Quarter final will be close match
Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 1:30 pm

Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 1:30 pm

Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 1:31 pm

Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 1:31 pm

Eoghan January 25, 2010 1:45 pm

Clermont alone would have a huge issue with what you've said.
Congrats to Munster & Leinster though - great to see both through with home draws.
I thought the Munster-N'hampton match was a bloody good physical contest. Way to go Munster x factor - that tighthead scrum turnover was just ridiculous...but classic Munster.
Eoghan January 25, 2010 1:45 pm

Clermont alone would have a huge issue with what you've said.
Congrats to Munster & Leinster though - great to see both through with home draws.
I thought the Munster-N'hampton match was a bloody good physical contest. Way to go Munster x factor - that tighthead scrum turnover was just ridiculous...but classic Munster.
Anonymous January 25, 2010 1:50 pm

Anonymous January 25, 2010 1:50 pm

Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 1:51 pm

Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 1:51 pm

Nicky07 January 25, 2010 2:20 pm

Nicky07 January 25, 2010 2:20 pm

Maximus January 25, 2010 2:54 pm

Maximus January 25, 2010 2:54 pm

Huh!! the 3rd January 25, 2010 4:32 pm

If Saints pick Gerrathy for 1/4 they have to go for it. He's not a percentage player. He's an incredible talent who should be told to play whats infront of him.
Agree about Hartley's darts, just like Flannery's (who played 80min for Shannon on Sat and needs to get back double time).
Leinster also messed up when not winning. The four French teams were drawn against each other until Malone scored that try.
On another point. The kick Gerrathy put out on the full was from his 10m line. The resulting scrum was set on the halfway, Munster won the pen at the scrum and O'Gara's pen dropped just short. Munster were on top at this stage and had O'Gara's pen been from the correct position its possible Munster could've had a bigger unsurmountable lead at half time.
To the Irish fans, this is the same ref for the Ire-It game in 2 weeks, yay!!!
Quarter finals look good though.
Huh!! the 3rd January 25, 2010 4:32 pm

If Saints pick Gerrathy for 1/4 they have to go for it. He's not a percentage player. He's an incredible talent who should be told to play whats infront of him.
Agree about Hartley's darts, just like Flannery's (who played 80min for Shannon on Sat and needs to get back double time).
Leinster also messed up when not winning. The four French teams were drawn against each other until Malone scored that try.
On another point. The kick Gerrathy put out on the full was from his 10m line. The resulting scrum was set on the halfway, Munster won the pen at the scrum and O'Gara's pen dropped just short. Munster were on top at this stage and had O'Gara's pen been from the correct position its possible Munster could've had a bigger unsurmountable lead at half time.
To the Irish fans, this is the same ref for the Ire-It game in 2 weeks, yay!!!
Quarter finals look good though.
Canadian Content January 25, 2010 5:01 pm

Canadian Content January 25, 2010 5:01 pm

Hooker_ January 25, 2010 5:14 pm

overall very tough physical game, just the kind that sound boring but are actually anything but .
Hooker_ January 25, 2010 5:14 pm

overall very tough physical game, just the kind that sound boring but are actually anything but .
Ireland for WC 2011 January 25, 2010 5:29 pm

Ireland for WC 2011 January 25, 2010 5:29 pm

Anonymous January 25, 2010 6:21 pm

Anonymous January 25, 2010 6:21 pm

Class Act January 25, 2010 6:38 pm

and foden was a massive let down! for a guy who is hyped up so much he was shocking....afraid to run at munster! just shows the poor poor standard of the premiership at the moment!
Class Act January 25, 2010 6:38 pm

and foden was a massive let down! for a guy who is hyped up so much he was shocking....afraid to run at munster! just shows the poor poor standard of the premiership at the moment!
mise January 25, 2010 6:58 pm

That on the line scrum by Munster was something else, and was _the_ single biggest highlight of the match:
With O Connell in the bin, Quinlan was in at lock, Howlett in at 6 for the scrum, and they feckin turned it. Incredible. After being dominated completely in the scrum up to that point. Only Munster can do those kind of things.
A more expansive and less conservative game might suit Munster too: get De Villiers and Earls running lines, from fast lineout ball.
mise January 25, 2010 6:58 pm

That on the line scrum by Munster was something else, and was _the_ single biggest highlight of the match:
With O Connell in the bin, Quinlan was in at lock, Howlett in at 6 for the scrum, and they feckin turned it. Incredible. After being dominated completely in the scrum up to that point. Only Munster can do those kind of things.
A more expansive and less conservative game might suit Munster too: get De Villiers and Earls running lines, from fast lineout ball.
Frontrowmaster January 25, 2010 8:21 pm

If he policed the breakdown properly he would have sent of Hartley. Hartley had his hands on the ball at 4 consecutive rucks where he shouldnt have and all Poite did was give a penalty. Ludacris.
O'Connell was going after him when he came back on because it was an absolutly ridiculous call.
On a side note. Can the french be made look even bigger cheats and dirty players?
Henry cheats his way to the world cup.
Attoub gets 70 weeks
Dupuy gets 23
Ill eat my jersey if the Heineken cup semis werent rigged.
How 2 french teams get home draws with the cameras turned off and all officiates were french
And now this guy is gonna ref the IRE-ITA game???
God help us is all i can say
Frontrowmaster January 25, 2010 8:21 pm

If he policed the breakdown properly he would have sent of Hartley. Hartley had his hands on the ball at 4 consecutive rucks where he shouldnt have and all Poite did was give a penalty. Ludacris.
O'Connell was going after him when he came back on because it was an absolutly ridiculous call.
On a side note. Can the french be made look even bigger cheats and dirty players?
Henry cheats his way to the world cup.
Attoub gets 70 weeks
Dupuy gets 23
Ill eat my jersey if the Heineken cup semis werent rigged.
How 2 french teams get home draws with the cameras turned off and all officiates were french
And now this guy is gonna ref the IRE-ITA game???
God help us is all i can say
Mike January 25, 2010 8:30 pm

Poite also refereed London Irish vs Leinster in Dublin and that game was terrible too, no tries scored either. I don't think it's coincidence. I don't think he should referee outside France - his style may work there where they are used to it, but he seems to kill games everywhere else.
Mike January 25, 2010 8:30 pm

Poite also refereed London Irish vs Leinster in Dublin and that game was terrible too, no tries scored either. I don't think it's coincidence. I don't think he should referee outside France - his style may work there where they are used to it, but he seems to kill games everywhere else.
Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 9:42 pm

on another sidenote, im hating the fact the press outside of ireland, the english in particular, are bemoaning about the amount of backchat o connell is giving to referees, when people like johnson and dallagio were so effective at doing the same thing! i remember munster vs wasps in 2004 in landsdowne when dallagio was in the refs ear all day long and it had an impact, consequently iv heard about o connell saying 2 years ago that its something "they" would look into, ie munster, and it looks like hes taking it upon himself to do it, and i know people might say, its irritating and im not biased when i say this, but every point he made to the ref was correct was it not? sin bin was a joke.
Paul Gormley January 25, 2010 9:42 pm

on another sidenote, im hating the fact the press outside of ireland, the english in particular, are bemoaning about the amount of backchat o connell is giving to referees, when people like johnson and dallagio were so effective at doing the same thing! i remember munster vs wasps in 2004 in landsdowne when dallagio was in the refs ear all day long and it had an impact, consequently iv heard about o connell saying 2 years ago that its something "they" would look into, ie munster, and it looks like hes taking it upon himself to do it, and i know people might say, its irritating and im not biased when i say this, but every point he made to the ref was correct was it not? sin bin was a joke.
Gavin January 25, 2010 10:15 pm

Gavin January 25, 2010 10:15 pm

Ben January 25, 2010 10:23 pm

But ur right, an harmonization of referring is necessarly, maybe special h-cup rules
But i don't see the point with some usual anti-french comments.
Guillotine attoub, dupuy, or thierry henry (wtf..?) seem to be the national sport of some sour irish fans here. Furthermore, if u imagine that there is a plot to help french teams win this H-cup. I'd really advise some to re-watch the 1st round matches.
Munster vs Toulouse could be an interesting final
Ben January 25, 2010 10:23 pm

But ur right, an harmonization of referring is necessarly, maybe special h-cup rules
But i don't see the point with some usual anti-french comments.
Guillotine attoub, dupuy, or thierry henry (wtf..?) seem to be the national sport of some sour irish fans here. Furthermore, if u imagine that there is a plot to help french teams win this H-cup. I'd really advise some to re-watch the 1st round matches.
Munster vs Toulouse could be an interesting final
SF January 25, 2010 10:28 pm

Some people have a good sense of humor...
hm, were u serious?
SF January 25, 2010 10:28 pm

Some people have a good sense of humor...
hm, were u serious?
Mike January 25, 2010 11:20 pm

Teams will always try to adapt the way they play to the referee, and if the referee allows hands in the ruck, then the teams HAVE to do it, or the other team will murder them.
So the lesson is - referee, please stop teams slowing down the ball illegally, so teams can attack and score tries! Otherwise we get Munster 12 Northampton 6, and Leinster 6 London Irish 9 zzzzzzzz :(
Mike January 25, 2010 11:20 pm

Teams will always try to adapt the way they play to the referee, and if the referee allows hands in the ruck, then the teams HAVE to do it, or the other team will murder them.
So the lesson is - referee, please stop teams slowing down the ball illegally, so teams can attack and score tries! Otherwise we get Munster 12 Northampton 6, and Leinster 6 London Irish 9 zzzzzzzz :(
Luke January 25, 2010 11:42 pm

O'Connell had been asking him for explanations of penalties (which Poite wouldn't provide and is the job of a captain so he can relay to his team what the ref is seeing) and for Poite to give attention to the Saints scrummaging technique. He literally said something like "they're tight head is scrummaging on my head" and Poite didn't even acknowledge it. Disgraceful.
On a side note, Poite ref'ed the epic Munster-All Blacks game last November, and was awful then too.
Luke January 25, 2010 11:42 pm

O'Connell had been asking him for explanations of penalties (which Poite wouldn't provide and is the job of a captain so he can relay to his team what the ref is seeing) and for Poite to give attention to the Saints scrummaging technique. He literally said something like "they're tight head is scrummaging on my head" and Poite didn't even acknowledge it. Disgraceful.
On a side note, Poite ref'ed the epic Munster-All Blacks game last November, and was awful then too.
Kearney for tests January 26, 2010 12:05 am

Kearney for tests January 26, 2010 12:05 am

mise January 26, 2010 1:13 am

They can't conceptualise a conversation on the pitch, as soccer dialog turns into 5 lads chasing the ref into the hoardings.
POC was entitled to say what he was saying, and the ref didn't get it.
mise January 26, 2010 1:13 am

They can't conceptualise a conversation on the pitch, as soccer dialog turns into 5 lads chasing the ref into the hoardings.
POC was entitled to say what he was saying, and the ref didn't get it.
Anonymous January 26, 2010 8:14 am

Anonymous January 26, 2010 8:14 am

Anonymous January 26, 2010 11:33 am

That was a terrible match though, jesus christ, who'd pay money for that?
Anonymous January 26, 2010 11:33 am

That was a terrible match though, jesus christ, who'd pay money for that?
Westerner January 26, 2010 11:49 am

Westerner January 26, 2010 11:49 am

Geoff' January 26, 2010 12:47 pm

Maybe a lot of intensity...but not really a beautiful match. More a boring type of game. The final score says it all. 21 points in 80 minutes for both sides.
let's reduce the number of points for a penalty. Maybe we'll see more offensive game
Geoff'
Geoff' January 26, 2010 12:47 pm

Maybe a lot of intensity...but not really a beautiful match. More a boring type of game. The final score says it all. 21 points in 80 minutes for both sides.
let's reduce the number of points for a penalty. Maybe we'll see more offensive game
Geoff'
Mike January 26, 2010 1:05 pm

If you reduced the points for a try to 4 again, guys would take less risks in illegally slowing down the ball because the risk/reward ratio has changed. Game theory and all that.
But you are right, the game wasn't a spectacle because there was no quick ball for either team (which is the referee's responsibility).
Mike January 26, 2010 1:05 pm

If you reduced the points for a try to 4 again, guys would take less risks in illegally slowing down the ball because the risk/reward ratio has changed. Game theory and all that.
But you are right, the game wasn't a spectacle because there was no quick ball for either team (which is the referee's responsibility).
Hooker_ January 26, 2010 7:26 pm

i feel much better now lol
Hooker_ January 26, 2010 7:26 pm

i feel much better now lol
keogh January 27, 2010 3:24 am

That being said...
Come on Munster!!
keogh January 27, 2010 3:24 am

That being said...
Come on Munster!!
keogh January 27, 2010 3:29 am

I'm hoping he gets to start most of the 6N matches (though it's pretty clear Sexton is moving in...).
keogh January 27, 2010 3:29 am

I'm hoping he gets to start most of the 6N matches (though it's pretty clear Sexton is moving in...).















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