MUNSTER 23-26 NORTHAMPTON
Northampton Saints put it up to Munster, at Thomond Park, and their celebrating replacements got right under the skin of Peter O’Mahony. The newly installed Ireland captain was not having that.
After a lively Saints start, Alex Mitchell took advantage of a gaping hole beside a rick and cantered through for the opening score of the game.
O’Mahony was standing back, getting his breath back, when he was enveloped by the celebrations of the entire Saints bench. It was actually Alex Moon that brushed past the Munster back-row, but he spun and took his frustrations out on Sam Graham, the replacement scrumhalf.
Fin Smith quickly stepped in to place a hand on O’Mahony’s chest and calm the situation down. The rest of the Saints lads were too busy celebrating for anything to escalate beyond that initial flurry.
Alex Mitchell doing what he does best ⚡️@SaintsRugby are on the board first at Thomond Park!#InvestecChampionsCup #MUNvNOR pic.twitter.com/XJS9Xg9N3y
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 20, 2024
Peter O’Mahony and Munster answer back
Peter O’Mahony and his Munster teammates, urged on by the home crowd, got back into the game and led 10-7 at the break – with Antoine Frisch scoring a try. George Furbank was sin-binned for a tip tackle, giving Munster an attacking platform that they took full advantage of.
Curtis Langdon was then red-carded when he kneed Tom Ahern in the face, after the Munster player fell to the ground during a tackle. “The ref has got that absolutely spot-on,” said former Munster lock, Donncha O’Callaghan on commentary duty for TNT Sports.
Curtis Langdon will sit out the rest of the match after being red carded for a knee to the head 🟥
What do you think of the call?#InvestecChampionsCup #MUNvNOR pic.twitter.com/eVe9amhtqS
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 20, 2024
“I don’t think it was intentional,” said former Munster back-row, Alan Quinlan, “but it was reckless… it cost Saints.”
The half ended with Peter O’Mahony scoring in the right-hand corner, against Saints’ 13 men, to make it 15-7.
On the try celebrations, it is worth noting that Munster, themselves, whooped it up in a similar manner when Simon Zebo scored a fine try against Toulon, on their home patch, last weekend:
Simon Zebo doing Simon Zebo things 🔥
A super bit of play to make it #InvestecChampionsCup try no. 35 for one of Munster's favourite son's 👏@Munsterrugby | #TOUvMUN pic.twitter.com/DqY7Y27Zfr
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 13, 2024
Of course, not everyone was a fan of that celebration either. Can’t please everybody, certainly not Peter O’Mahony when you’ve just zinged one in against his side.
In the end, inspired by Fin Smith and Courtney Lawes, Northampton shocked Munster by winning the second half 19-8, with a man less, and coming home with three points to spare.
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