Munster Rugby secure Champions Cup knock-out spot despite defeat to Northampton

MUNSTER Rugby have secured their place in the last 16 stage of the Investec Champions Cup - but are likely to be away from home for that fixture - after suffering a dramatic 34-32 defeat to Northampton Saints in a thrilling pool fixture at the Clinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Munster picked up two bonus points, a try bonus point and losing bonus point, in a dramatic contest, but it was the Saints who won pool 3 as a result of their narrow victory.

Two tries in the opening half from Limerick winger Calvin Nash saw the visitors into a 15-12 interval lead

However, a double of five-pointers in the second period from Tom Seabrook to add to his try in the first 40, along with scores from Curtis Langdon and James Ramm, meant Saints claimed five match points

Munster did manage two second-half tries from winger Diarmuid Kilgallen as the visitors pushed the Gallagher Premiership side all the way.

After Jack Crowley converted Kigallen's second try it closed the gap to just two points with a few minutes remaining, but Henry Pollock - having come on as a substitute late on - secured the game-winning turnover for Saints.

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NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: James Ramm, Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall (c), Rory Hutchinson, Tom Seabrook, Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell, Tarek Haffar, Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison, Alex Coles, Tom Lockett, Josh Kemeny, Tom Pearson, Juarno Augustus. Replacements: Callum Hunter-Hill for Coles (54 mins), Tom West for Haffar, Henry Pollock for Augusts (both 60 mins), Luke Green for Davison (63 mins), Tom James for Mitchell, Angus Scott-Young for Kemeny (both 72 mins).

enry Walker, Tom West, Luke Green, Callum Hunter-Hill, Angus Scott-Young, Henry Pollock, Tom James, Tom Litchfield.

MUNSTER RUGBY: Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray, Dian Bleuler, Diarmuid Barron, Oli Jager, Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (c), Peter O'Mahony, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Niall Scannell for Barron, Stephen Archer for Jager, Jack O’Donoghue for O’Mahony, Tom Ahern for Wycherley (all 50 mins), Tony Butler for Nash (HIA, 63 mins), Brian Gleeson for Kendellen (67 mins), John Ryan for Bleuler, Paddy Patterson for Murray (both 72 mins, Barron for N Scannell (HIA, 75 mins).

REFEREE: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)