Saracens vs Munster, Sat 14th Dec 3pm; BT Sports

thomond2006

Saracens team:

15 Max Malins
14 Sean Maitland
13 Alex Lozowski
12 Nick Tompkins
11 Elliot Daly
10 Owen Farrell (c)
9 Richard Wigglesworth
1 Mako Vunipola
2 Jamie George
3 Vincent Koch
4 Joel Kpoku
5 George Kruis
6 Nick Isiekwe
7 Ben Earl
8 Billy Vunipola

Replacements

16 Tom Woolstencroft
17 Richard Barrington
18 Josh Ibuanokpe
19 Calum Clark
20 Jackson Wray
21 Ben Spencer
22 Manu Vunipola
23 Duncan Taylor

Munster:
Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; JJ Hanrahan, Conor Murray;
James Cronin, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland; Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (C), CJ Stander.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Liam O’Connor, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Nick McCarthy, Dan Goggin, Tommy O’Donnell.

Munster are up against it as they travel to Barnet to face Saracens. The only change to starting XV sees John Ryan replace Stephen Archer. Tommy O'Donnell replaces the suspended Arno Botha on the bench as Munster retain a 6-2 split.

Assuming Racing earn the maximum against Ospreys tonight, this is how the Pool will stand tomorrow:

Racing 17
Munster 11
Saracens 6
Ospreys 0

If Munster earn an unlikely win, Saracens will be eliminated and the Racing-Munster clash will decide who tops the pool with both teams looking likely to qualify for the knockout stages. If Saracens win then it's all to play for the three teams. Given the lineups it's difficult to see Munster getting a return from this game, with last Saturday looking like a lost opportunity to deny Saracens a LBP.

https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/1205457342336131073

It's another mix and match from Saracens but overall much stronger than last weekend.

yerrahbah

Huge performance needed, need at minimum a LBP and deny them a TBP

Are Liam Williams and Alex Goode both injured? Neither have featured in either game.

LuckyGent88

Leroy Cool Spit wrote: »

Are Liam Williams and Alex Goode both injured? Neither have featured in either game.

Goode out for three months anyway. Not sure on Williams though.

We have to play our best game in years tomorrow really. Very strong Saracens team who I’m pretty sure are unbeaten at this new stadium. Need to get a minimum LBP anyway and stop them getting four tries.

Dbu

Thats a seriously good Saracens team. Enormous effort needed to get something there, but not impossible

arsebiscuits1

Can't see this game going any other way that to Sarries. Bookies have Sarries at -12

Zzippy

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Goode out for three months anyway. Not sure on Williams though.

We have to play our best game in years tomorrow really. Very strong Saracens team who I’m pretty sure are unbeaten at this new stadium. Need to get a minimum LBP anyway and stop them getting four tries.

New stadium?? Unbeaten??

Eod100

Think a lbp would be decent result here

errlloyd

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

We have to play our best game in years tomorrow really. Very strong Saracens team who I’m pretty sure are unbeaten at this new stadium. Need to get a minimum LBP anyway and stop them getting four tries.

Remember that time that Alaverati Raka scored 3 tries, did all the work for a fourt and Clermont absolutely ruined Saracens in a monday night snow delayed game? It was excellent.

jr86

Definitely the right call for Sarries to bring back the world class stars. leicester and Wasps are absolutely awful, relegation really shouldn't be a concern. In any case they will certainly get away with resting players against ospreys and maybe even against Racing, before going all out from the quarters to qualify again for next year

Reckon they will get the 5 here for sure and deny Munster a LBP

phog

We absolutely have to get something from tomorrow or it's very likely that we can't catch Sarries for 2nd spot

We'll do a big favour to the other teams if we can knock Sarries out at the pool stages.

LuckyGent88

errlloyd wrote: »

Remember that time that Alaverati Raka scored 3 tries, did all the work for a fourt and Clermont absolutely ruined Saracens in a monday night snow delayed game? It was excellent.

I obviously didn’t!!!

Sp anything other than a 5-0 leaves Munster's fate in their own hands. Will need a result away to Racing but they've been all over the shop this season so it's doable.

Riskymove

Zzippy wrote: »

New stadium?? Unbeaten??

about 7 years now

probably losing its "new" tag alright:pac:

If Munster get everything right and get everything out of each of their 23 players then maybe.

But I think a significant home win is on the cards, 15+.

crisco10

We are overdue a Munster miracle match arent we?

Del.Monte

crisco10 wrote: »

We are overdue a Munster miracle match arent we?

We are but I've still taken Saracens -11.

Former Former

It's a very good Saracens team but still some way short of full strength. If this was in Thomond I'd make Munster favourites.

A win would be awesome and it's not outside the realm of possibility. A losing BP would still be a good outcome and is achievable.

Faugheen

I honestly think Munster can take them here.

Eod100

Former Former wrote: »

It's a very good Saracens team but still some way short of full strength. If this was in Thomond I'd make Munster favourites.

A win would be awesome and it's not outside the realm of possibility. A losing BP would still be a good outcome and is achievable.

Guess result in TP needs to be taken in context of awful weather too so was never going to be high scoring. Think our defence is good. In attack I think we're kinda half way between Larkham's style and old one which can cause issues. No reason why we can't go out and win but think it will be tough ask against that Saracens team away from home.

thomond2006

Faugheen wrote: »

I honestly think Munster can take them here.

I honestly think we'll do well to get anything from this.

Happy Christmas. :pac:

Boscoirl

https://twitter.com/munsterrugby/status/1205774598110875648?s=21


The way the team is lined out in this pic irritates me more than it should

thomond2006

Boscoirl wrote: »

https://twitter.com/munsterrugby/status/1205774598110875648?s=21


The way the team is lined out in this pic irritates me more than it should

My eyes! It burns!

I think I've just had some kind of a seizure.

yerrahbah

Ill say the same thing i said last year before the semi final

For Munster to have a chance they need.

To have their best game in years
Saracens to have an off day
Refs decisions to go our way

Today will also give us an idea where we stand relative to the best team in Europe

yerrahbah

https://twitter.com/Munsterrugby/status/1205862343911051264

****

budhabob

****e, just heard POM is out with a groin injury, JOD to start.

razorblunt

That Saracens line speed is a bit toooo fast.

A nothing kick from JJ led to this.

Clegg

That's Beirne's ankle gone.

Larbre34

All sorts of mayhem in that ankle twist, poor fella. Could be the season.

LuckyGent88

Well this day is going from bad to worse. Two bad back row injuries now. Just pray we get out of here someone with a LBP and not getting them a TBP

ScrubsfanChris

The only part of this game I would have expected Munster to dominate is now pretty much gone.

razorblunt

Silly from JOD, twice now.

razorblunt

That looked like the Sarries lineout catcher fell into the Munster side, would be interested to see again.

2smiggy

Saracens do look like they can take it up another gear if they want, unfortunately

razorblunt

Brilliant by Cronin, Earl in at the side couldn’t get him off it.

theVersatile

Were chasing the breakdown a fair bit - too bad POM and Beirne are gone. Lovely from Cronin

ScrubsfanChris

What a waste. Headless chicken stuff.......

LuckyGent88

Another injury ffs. Getting decimated.

Mantis Toboggan

Is there no advantage rule?

razorblunt

Wrigglesworth was all over Murray on their line. Deserved that karma.

ScrubsfanChris

We had an over lap and an injured Saracens player in the defensive line.
But Murray has already made his mind up 3 phases earlier, he's kicking it :rolleyes:

LuckyGent88

Absolute arm wrestle and defensive masterclass really.

Will absolutely take that score line at HT and even FT for that matter. Two terrible injuries during the game and one before so we have done quite well. Only disappointment from the play was not scoring a try when we had a golden chance.

Keep up the great defensive work and try and get a bit more territory in this second half

shootermacg

Sarries will do the usual step it up in the next quarter. If we can cope with it, we've a chance.

PTH2009

For all there money sarries have some ****e stadium

yerrahbah

What a pass from Scannell to send Conway down the wing,
He has that in his locker, we just dont see it enough.
Long day for Archer out there now though,
Stander has been everywhere as per usual

leakyboots

We rattled Sarries a little bit there, they're making some silly errors, our defence is largely dealing with them. I'd be a bit nervous about the last 15-20 cos of the amount of tackles we've had to put in.

Murray is playing well, controlling things. Kleyn is having a big one too, big tackles and clearouts.

Hopefully we can nah the first score after half time and build on this

Munster working very, very hard on and off the ball. It's paying off as Sarries look a bit rattled at times.

Is it just me or are Sarries an unusually mouthy team? Almost sounds like Leinster out there!

yerrahbah

Hat tip for Keith Earls for a potential try saving intervention at a ruck aswell

ScrubsfanChris

PTH2009 wrote: »

For all there money sarries have some ****e stadium

Its owned by the local council, Saracens just rent.
Theres plans for a second grand stand but that's not in Sarries control