Munster secured their Heineken Cup semi-final spot away to Biarritz but they had to work hard to overcome Northampton. Munster rushed out of the blocks and were 8-0 up in as many minutes thanks to a Ronan O’Gara penalty and Paul Warwick try, but Saints worked their way back into the game as Stephen Myler landed two penalties and although Doug Howlett went over, a Myler penalty and converted Jon Clarke try gave Saints a 16-13 half-time lead.
But Jean De Villiers’s scored a try to put Munster back in front and O’Gara’s boot and a second Howlett try saw the Irish comfortably win with the final score of:
Munster 33-19 Northampton
Scorers
Munster
Tries: Warwick, Howlett 2, De Villiers Cons: O’Gara 2 Pens: O’Gara 3
Northampton:
Tries: Clarke Cons: Myler Pens: Myler 4
Teams
Munster: Warwick; Howlett, Earls, De Villiers, Dowling; O’Gara, O’Leary; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Quinlan, Wallace, Coughlan.
Replacements: Mafi for Dowling (42), Stringer for O’Leary (79), Buckley for Hayes (70), Ronan for Quinlan (72), N Williams for Coughlan (63).
Not Used: Varley, Brugnaut, O’Driscoll.
Northampton: Foden; Ashton, Clarke, Downey, Reihana; Myler, Dickson; Tonga’uiha, Hartley, Murray, Lawes, Kruger, Dowson, Best, Wilson.
Replacements: Ansbro for Clarke (72), Geraghty for Myler (66), Mujati for Murray (57), Easter for Dowson (72).
Not Used: Sharman, Dreyer, Fernandez Lobbe, Dickens.
Att: 26,000
Ref: Nigel Owens (WRFU).