Jan 21 As it happened: Five-star Munster win and claim top seeding

17.46 - It wouldn’t be Munster if there wasn’t something at pale in their ultimate pool game. The Reds have travelled to Northampton Saints this evening, observant that their opponents will be seeking revenge for a certain drop goal last Autumn.

17.51 -

Munster have their injustice problems, but still have plenitude of experience within their starting XV: D Hurley; J Murphy, K Earls, L Mafi, S Zebo; R O’Gara, C Murray; W du Preez, D Varley, BJ Botha; Donncha O’Callaghan, P O’Connell; D Ryan, P O’Mahony, J Coughlan.

17.52 -

The Saints, for their part, are without Chris Ashton and are playing for self-esteem: B Foden; J Elliott, G Pisi, J Downey, V Artemyev; R Lamb, L Dickson; S Tonga’uiha, D Hartley, B Mujati, S Manoa, M Sorenson, C Clark, P Dowson, R Wilson.

17.57 - The big news for Munster is Donncha O’Callaghan’s inclusion following Niall Ronan’s injustice. The former’s preference sees Donncha Ryan move into the back row.

17.59 - Paul O’Connell leads his side out on to the tract of land.

18.02 - The referee this evening is Frenchman Romain Poite. And we’re off…

18.04 - Bright wince from Munster. A couple of seasonable breaks from Zebo and Coughlan. Very obvious football lines on the degree of elevation too so will try and not get joined up!!

18.06 - Ryan Lamb misses his first essay at goal after some vast play by Phil Dowson earns Saints a punishment from Poite. The ball comes back off the posts and the hosts retain ownership.

18.08 - punishment NORTHAMPTON: The ten makes no misunderstand with his second kick – after Peter O’Mahony is pinged in the ruck. Saints ahead and looking to make it six wins in six games.

18.09 - The Botha v Tonga’uiha rencontre in the scrum is one to keep an eye on given the South African hasn’t had much make different from his straight adverse party in recent clashes.

18.14 - punishment NORTHAMPTON: A dreadful offload from Mafi lands Munster in trouble in their own 22. They are driven back in the scrum and Lamb opts to kick for three points from the resulting punishment.

18.16 - punishment MUNSTER: Munster rejoin in the best possible mode. Clark fails to deliver after Saints assemble the re-wince and Ronan O’Gara duly gets his side on the score plank.

18.20 - TRY NORTHAMPTON: Mafi is without limit smashed by Samu Manoa just metres from his own line, and Poite awards a punishment try after Munster are driven back again and O’Mahony tries to kick the ball luminous from Roger Wilson’s feet.

18.24 - punishment MUNSTER: Lamb ventures offside while Munster essay to fabricate up some momentum. When the storm comes to nothing, Poite goes back for kick and O’Gara adds his second of the evening.

18.26 - Just a ready reminder: Munster need a loss premium sharp end to security themselves a home fourth part-ultimate. They are modified but who fancies facing Leinster or Clermont away from home at the second?

18.33 - punishment MUNSTER: Ryan, Botha and Varley nick up the carries count as Munster set about creating some compressing of their own. Saints are caught offside again and O’Gara adds another punishment kick.

18.35 - DROP KICK NORTHAMPTON: Munster fail to assemble the re-wince and Ryan slots a drop goal between the posts.

18.36 - TRY MUNSTER: It’s end to end here. Another poor re-wince sees Zebo causing chaos in the Saints’ half and it’s Botha that eventually gathers and dives on the line. O’Gara adds the conversion and, all of a unexpected, it’s level.

18.40 - Neither coach will feel his side is controlling this so far. We’ve had handling errors, poor set piece play, and some dread scrums (from Munster’s sharp end of view). It’s still quite an open game though.

18.41 - Munster turn over Saints ball at the breakdown, much to the delight of O’Connell, and O’Gara takes the chance to put his side ahead for the first time.

18.44 - punishment NORTHAMPTON: Munster are destroyed in the scrum once again, allowing Lamb to draw his team level just before the fracture.

18.47 - HALF TIME: Northampton will be wondering how they are not well ahead, given the dominance of their scrum. The or response: they are playing Munster. The Reds didn’t wince particularly well but have embattled their way back into the controvert and currently have the sharp end they need to assured a home fourth part-ultimate.

There’s a lot of rugby to be played yet though, and BJ Botha will disburse the fracture wondering if there’s any way he can get back on an even foothold against his scrum adverse party.

18.59 - ROG gets the second half underway and his re-wince finds the paws of none other than Simon Zebo. Again.

19.03 - TRY MUNSTER: The Reds retain ownership through several front line phases and ready ball eventually makes its way out wide to Johne Murphy, who launches himself onto the try line. Poite checks the perform, but awards the score and O’Gara converts with ease.

19.05 - Munster are back on the storm through Hurley and Earls but the move ends when Paul O’Connell fails to find a team-mate with a intractable pass. Northampton at sea right now.

19.10 - TRY MUNSTER: ready ball through the clutches of O’Gara, Earls and then Hurley sees Zebo race luminous down the touchline for Munster. Three tries and one more could see Munster movement forward as top seeds. To a chorus of boos, O’Gara misses the extras.

19.14 - Tonga’uiha drops the ball inches brief of the Munster try line. Saints need a win, of course, to assured a broad way in the Amlin Cup and are going for the big scores now in an essay to salvage something from the game.

19.17 - Poite has warned O’Connell about the Munster scrum again. Insisting that a second punishment try is possible.

19.19 - TRY NORTHAMPTON: Another Northampton scrum, more compressing and another punishment try for the Saints. Lamb converts and it’s back to five points between the teams.

19.21 - Conor Murray and Lee Dickson have both been fulvous-carded for the handbags that following the try. Both scrum-halves trot off the degree of elevation together with just over 20 minutes remaining.

19.23 - Mafi and Varley are sharing Murray’s going by duties at the second!

19.29 - punishment MUNSTER: Mafi is caught at the edge of a ruck by Wilson but when the Saints fail to roll away, Poite whistles for the punishment. O’Gara adds the three points.

19.30 - punishment NORTHAMPTON: Earls is pinged for difficulty during the re-wince, even though O’Connell takes neat. Lamb hauls three points back for his team almost proximately as Murray and Dickson get back to the game.

19.32 - Tomas O’Leary is on for Murray.

19.34 - punishment MUNSTER: O’Mahony is taken out in the air during a line out and it’s another punishment kick occasion for O’Gara. The Corkman obliges and Munster are eight in front once more.

19.37 - TRY MUNSTER: Zebo is the man to assured the premium sharp end and the reckon one seeding for Munster! The wing intercepts a sloppy pass and races luminous for his second of the day. A home fourth part-ultimate ahead for the Reds! O’Gara converts.

19.39 - Munster have never recorded six wins in six during the pool stages before…

19.43 - TRY MUNSTER: Munster come piling forward again through O’Mahony, Coughlan and O’Connell and it’s the angled run created by Ian Keatley – on for O’Gara – that allows Zebo in for his hat cog. The reinstatement kicker adds the conversion to get himself on the score plank.

19.44 - As it stands either Munster or Leinster could face Ulster in the ultimate eight.

19.46 - TRY NORTHAMPTON: Replacement Scott Armstrong has the ultimate say but the score can take little away from Munster’s straining today.

19.47 - Hat cog man Simon Zebo is named Heineken Man of the Match

19.50 - FULL TIME: What a foreign game. Munster were again and again and utterly thrashed at scrum time but came out with a premium-sharp end victory after their best expand of the tourney. The Reds win Pool 1 by ten points and are top seeds for the next platform following Leinster’s defectiveness to get five points earlier today.