Munster player ratings vs Saracens | Investec Champions Cup

Munster picked up a signature Champions Cup win as they downed Saracens 17 – 12 in an old school tussle at Thomond Park.

Falling foul to early indiscretions, Munster appeared to be losing touch as Saracens kicked their goals to take a 9 – 3 lead in the 49th minute.

Parking their struggles in the 59th minute, Munster exploded into action with two quick-fire tries through loosehead Dian Bleuler and backrow John Hodnett to take a lead they would never relinquish.

Here is how the Munster players fared.

1. Dian Bleuler – 8.5
Quickly becoming part of the fabric of Munster Rugby, the burly South African pounced perfectly for the opening try of the match. At scrum time, he played a key role in shifting the match officials’ opinion on who was dominant.

2.Niall Scannell – 7
Hit his marks at line-out time albeit more often than not it was to the front. Whilst he is a few years removed from being the dynamic carrier he once was, he remains built for occasions like this evening. Doing his best work at the breakdown, he had an uncanny ability to be on the wrong side for an extra second or two which played a big roll in Munster getting their defensive line set.

3. Oli Jager – 7
Had a right old battle with Saracens loosehead Phil Brantingham at scrum time. Overcoming some early struggles, the former Crusaders gained ascendancy. Once he had the ascendancy, he never waivered as the Munster scrum got a real nudge on at crucial moments. Still clearly working his way back to top form, Jager showed this evening why he is so crucial to Munster’s hopes for the rest of the season.

4. Fineen Wycherley – 8
A silly penalty concession aside, Wycherley was dominant at the contact point as he held his own against Maro Itoje and co. Making his showing all the more impressive was his ability to go the full eighty without ever dropping off a tick. Overall, this might have been his best showing in the Champions Cup.

5. Tadhg Beirne – 9.5
Fully committed to the cause, the skipper wreaked havoc at the breakdown and in the face of a strong Sarries maul. In attack, he was a key operator for a Munster side that played in fits and starts for the opening hour. In the end, he had at least five key interventions that stunted Saracens when they looked certain to score and was once again World Class.

6. Jack O’Donoghue – 6.5
Fortunate to avoid a yellow card for a collision in the air towards the tail end of the first half, the veteran backrow had a mixed performance. On one hand he got through a mountain of work at the breakdown, on the other he was blunt in the carry. Doing most of his good work at line-out time, O’Donoghue played his part in keeping Muntser in the fight.

7. Alex Kendellen – 7.5
Munster’s new age menace in the backrow, whilst not always dominant, never backs down from the fight. Wrestling a physical Sarries backrow to the point that the uber-effective trio of Gonzalez, Earl and Willis had a limited impact. Certainly, he doesn’t quite pack the punch of John Hodnett in the carry, but he is eerily similar to Peter O’Mahony in his ability to have a key hand in defensive wins for his side.

8. Gavin Coombes – 8.5
Clicked into drive from the off and motored to yet another solid showing behind a front five that wasn’t always going forward. Making the crucial break that got Munster the first try if the match on the hour mark showed why so many were frustrated he was rested for the Castres clash.

9. Conor Murray – 7.5
Superb in the face of a relentless Saracens assault on the Munster breakdown, Murray’s cool nature kept Munster in the fight through the opening forty. In the second half, he sprung to life in attack, which played a key role in Munster’s ability to go through the gears for their two tries. This tempo, combined with long-range box kicks, had Munster going in the right direction whilst Sarries were chasing their tails.

10. Jack Crowley – 8
Coming within an inch of scoring the try of the round as he chipped forward twice only to see the ball slip agonisingly from his grasp, Crowley took the match by the scruff of the neck.

Parking any disappointment from his missed penalty and touch-finder in the first half, Crowley fronted up despite Sarries being in his face all evening. Adjusting to this pressure by dropping a touch deeper into the pocket did the trick to get the Munster attack clicking in the final twenty minutes.

Defensively, he went the full distance, making crucial tackles, most notably in the 79th minute, which forced Saracens into a forward pass when they had a numerical advantage out wide. In summation, he continues to work through his ‘sophomore’ season as a key international by overcoming negative moments with positives.

11. Shane Daly – 5
Struggled to find his radar under the high ball with a pair of pedestrian knock-ons. Despite not having the cleanest of evenings, his work rate remained high as he chased everything.

12. Rory Scannell – 6
Munster’s seasoned veteran had some lovely touches as a distributor and kicking option. Sure, he lacks the punch of an Alex Nankivell, but he is a reassuring presence outside of Crowley when things aren’t going Munster’s way.

13. Tom Farrell – 7.5
Busy as ever, Farrell got stuck in as Munster’s top backline carrier in the face of a brutal rush defence. Closing his account with 11 carries, 1 offload, 1 line-break and 1 try assist was a good night’s work. On the other side of the ball, he made eight tackles, including a couple of notable efforts which cut off the Saracens’ outside backs when Munster looked vulnerable.

14. Calvin Nash – 6.5
Impact personified, the only criticism we can have of the Ireland winger is that he doesn’t quite get involved enough. When he did carry, it was impactful as he bounced defenders and made yards.

15. Mike Haley – 6
It was far from a vintage showing from the normally steady Haley, who struggled under the high ball at crucial points. These drops aside, he returned the ball well and kicked exceptionally to split the Saracens’ backfield, which ultimately bought his defence time to reset.

Substitutes
16. Diarmuid Barron – 8
Replaced Scannell with half an hour to play and was nothing short of exceptional as an impact defender making eight tackles whilst posing a constant turnover threat. At line-out time, he found his jumpers as Munster ended with a 100% win rate on their own ball.

17. John Ryan – 6.5
Similar to his fellow replacement partner, the experienced loosehead struggled at times in the scrum but, more often than not, did just enough when it was most needed.

18. Stephen Archer – 6
Struggled at scrum time but as ever trucked on and got the ball out when it was most needed. In attack, he continues to be a marvel with his ability to distribute, whilst defensively, he continually pushed the limits at the breakdown.

19. Thomas Ahern – 7.5
Another performance that will have firmly put him in the shop window for an Irish call-up, his ability to get his hands free in contact played a key role in Munster’s ability to wriggle free for two tries.

20. John Hodnett – 9
Munster’s one man bomb squad did it again! Bringing dynamism in the carry that was sorely missed early in the contest, the Roscarberry man scored the crucial try that put daylight between the two sides.

21. Paddy Patterson – N/A
Unused sub.

22. Billy Burns – N/A
Brought another kicking option for the final five minutes but didn’t have any noticeable impact.

23. Brian Gleeson – 7.5
The hype is very real. The former U20 star made what should’ve been the final key turnover with a dominant tackle before Murray knocked on. Taking over from the immensely impressive Gavin Coombes without missing a beat says it all.