Munster v Saracens Through The Years
It’s a rivalry that goes back 26 years and has provided many memorable games with Munster and Saracens locking horns for the 12th time this Saturday at Thomond Park.
The game kicks off at 5.30pm with over 20,500 tickets already snapped up. Get yours here.
Take a look back at six previous clashes below.
Pool Stage, Round Two: November 28, 1999, Vicarage Road, Watford: Saracens 34 – 35 Munster
In a memorable encounter at Vicarage Road, Munster took on an impressive Saracens squad led by Springbok icon Francois Pienaar. It was the first ever game between the two teams with Munster coming from behind to emerge as winners by just one point.
They were down 21-9 at one stage in the second half before rallying to take the lead, with Anthony Foley, Kilian Keane and Mike Mullins all touching down. They then fell well behind again only to find the inspiration to create a great try by Jeremy Staunton which Ronan O’Gara converted.
Pool Stage, Round Five: January 8, 2000, Thomond Park: Munster 31 – 30 Saracens
In this pool stage fixture, there was little to separate the two teams at Thomond Park. Saracens took a good 17-8 lead at the half-time whistle with Cork-born Darragh O’Mahony opening the scoring for the visitors.
In the second half Munster fought back starting with Jason Holland’s try before Ronan O’Gara and Thierry Lacroix exchanged penalties. Saracens looked to have sealed victory with a mauled try close to full-time, but Munster were not done.
An even later try from Keith Wood, converted by O’Gara, and a drop-goal attempt charged down by John Langford completed the comeback victory. The season would end with a first European final appearance at Twickenham, where Northampton grabbed the win 9-8.
Semi-final: April 27, 2008, Ricoh Arena, Coventry: Munster 18 – 16 Saracens
Munster faced Saracens in Coventry, with the English side stepping out for their first semi-final.
Munster started on the back foot as Fijian winger Kameli Ratuvou touched down for an early try. O’Gara slotted a penalty and then made a sniping run to get over the line and put Munster back in front. An Alan Quinlan try under the posts gave Munster a 15-7 half-time cushion, only for Glen Jackson’s boot to close the gap to two points.
Saracens were reduced to 13 men with two yellow cards in quick succession for props Nick Lloyd and Census Johnston. A penalty apiece for O’Gara and Jackson kept the sides within touching distance of one another but Munster’s big-game experience saw them through to a final against Toulouse and a second title in three seasons with a 16 -13 victory in Cardiff.
Pool Stage, Round Two: October 24, 2014, Thomond Park: Munster 14 – 3 Saracens
Munster opened their European Champions Cup campaign for the 2014/15 season at Thomond Park on a winning note following a 14-3 victory over Saracens.
The opening half saw Munster with most of the possession, mainly due to excellent work at the breakdown by a dominant pack. However, lack of precision cost Munster dearly as they saw little return for their efforts on the scoreboard. It was a very tight first half, with just a single penalty from both sides.
Munster widened the gap in the second-half, first with an Ian Keatley penalty on 54 minutes, a Dave Kilcoyne try on 61, and a Keatley drop goal on 66.
Semi-final: April 22, 2017, Aviva Stadium, Dublin: Munster 10 – 26 Saracens
Munster came up against defending champions Saracens in a packed-out Aviva Stadium in the 2017 European Cup Semi-Final. The first try of the game didn’t come until the 53rd minute, with Munster keeping Saracens to 6 – 3 at half time.
Despite much dominance in the first half, it was Saracens who grabbed a breakthrough try early in the second 40 from Mako Vunipola, with wing Chris Wyles adding a second on 69 minutes. Owen Farrell’s two conversions and four penalties hammered home the Saracens advantage before CJ Stander grabbed a consolation try in the final minute.
Semi-final: April 20, 2019, Ricoh Arena, Coventry: Saracens 32 – 16 Munster
Saracens dominated the ball for the majority of the first 40 minutes, and it was penalties that put points on the board for both teams. The English side only had a three-point lead at the break, with the score at 12-9.
In the second half, the then reigning Premiership champions proved far more clinical, as tries from Michael Rhodes and Billy Vunipola, sandwiched by a Darren Sweetnam effort for Munster, saw them pull away. Saracens went on to win the 2018/19 trophy as they defeated Leinster in Newcastle.
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