Northampton Saints 24 Munster 14: Tom Vickers' review and player ratings

Saints have booked a home quarter-final against Vodacom Bulls thanks to two brilliant and brutal wins against Munster.

The first came in the pool stages as Saints played the entire second half with 14 men but somehow got the job done at Thomond Park.

That win ensured Saints topped Pool 3 and would be seeded only below Leinster in their half of the draw, meaning the only away knockout tie they could face would be if they and Leinster both made it to the semi-finals.

The path was set, but it was one fraught with danger, with a Munster rematch lying in wait first up.

They knew their pool stage opponents would be on a revenge mission.

And few teams do siege mentality in Europe better than the men from Limerick, who have made a habit of delivering memorable wins in this competition, some of which have come against Saints.

But this time, this brilliant time, it was the black, green and gold who prevailed.

They were never going to have it easy against such formidable and fight-ready opponents.

But Saints stayed in the bout after taking blow after blow in a first period that was largely dominated by the men in red, who were backed by an incredible travelling army of supporters.

And then Phil Dowson’s men came into their own, composing themselves at half-time and giving everything they had to keep Munster scoreless during a second period illuminated by two flying finishes from super-sub George Hendy.

Saints showed they have not only style but substance these days - and what a force they have become.

They know they are not perfect but how hard they are working to get as close to it as they can.

Sam Vesty put it best at a press session earlier this season, saying Saints want to be ‘f******’ good, and they are working each days towards that goal.

Occasions such as these, under such pressure in such an intense environment, can only be great experience.

And they are even greater when you win.

They have come such a long way since last season, and they know they still have much ground to cover if they want to provide more special memories in this campaign.

They get another chance on Saturday night against another formidable opponent as they look to keep alive the dream of emulating the Heineken Cup-winning heroes of 2000, who were the previous team to host a Gardens knockout tie in the top tier of European competition.

That team beat Munster in the final.

This team has beaten them in the last-16.

But this team knows they don’t want their competition to end with a win against the men from Thomond Park.

How they rated…

JAMES RAMM – CHRON STAR MAN - scored one, gave the final pass for both of George Hendy’s efforts and made some really telling interventions defensively, especially before half-time when he halted Munster out wide at a key moment… 9

TOMMY FREEMAN – just class. The winger was at it again here, beating players for fun, adding yet another try to his tally and showing his impressive physicality… 9

FRASER DINGWALL – such a clever player and though he may not always hit the headlines, the work he does around the field should not be underestimated… 8.5

BURGER ODENDAAL – Saints will hope the injury that forced him off isn’t too serious because he had an incredible impact in this game, giving his side such go-forward and creating a try with a lovely offload… 9

OLLIE SLEIGHTHOLME – just electric on the break, the speedy winger cut Munster apart in the second half as he helped to provide a crucial try for George Hendy… 9

FIN SMITH – a couple of things didn’t quite come off in attack, but he was rock solid defensively and he did have some nice moments with ball in hand… 8

TOM JAMES – did everything he needed to and really fronted up defensively during an attritional first half… 8

MANNY IYOGUN – a real statement performance from the prop, and perhaps his best yet. He turned on the power to really push Munster back time and again… 8.5

CURTIS LANGDON – seriously, what else is there to say about this guy? Incredible signing, another incredible performance, his chase back and gather before going on a run was a thing of beauty… 9

TREVOR DAVISON – this man keeps ploughing on as he takes opposition props to task while offering plenty around the field for his team… 8

ALEX MOON – got through a mountain of work and made some big impacts on opposition players… 8

ALEX COLES – just kept powering forward at every opportunity, causing problems for Munster with his potential to offload at any point… 8.5

COURTNEY LAWES – another massive showing from the pillar of strength as he disrupted Munster at every turn and also showcased some lovely timing of the pass… 9

LEWIS LUDLAM – was exceptional in defence during the first half and it was no surprise Saints took him off 12 minutes into the second half as he had put so much effort into the early exchanges… 8.5

SAM GRAHAM – seemed to make metres whenever he was involved, both defensively and offensively as he displayed his power once again… 8.5

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

JUARNO AUGUSTUS (for Ludlam 52) – loves a physical battle and he was hungry to get his hands on the ball as he helped Saints to keep the power levels high… 7.5

ALEX MITCHELL (for James 52) – just adds such tempo to Saints and when you’re up against a tiring team, his influence is so clear… 7.5

SAM MATAVESI (for Langdon 57) – a really secure presence for the team and no shortage of energy as the hooker made his mark… 7

GEORGE HENDY (for Odendaal 58) – he couldn’t really have made a bigger impact as he came off the bench to deliver two fine finishes that won his side the game. He also made a huge hit out wide late on… 8.5