IAN COSTELLO PRAISED the role of the Munster bench after watching his team finish on top of Saracens in a tense Champions Cup pool clash at Thomond Park this evening.

The province were trailing 9-3 with almost 60 minutes played before summoning a strong finish powered by a big impact from the Munster replacements, which saw them move 17-9 up thanks to two tries from Dian Bleuler and John Hodnett in quick succession, with a determined defensive effort helping them hold out for a five-point, 17-12 win.

“I think we stayed really true to what we said we would do, and at times we have gone a little bit away from that at key moments under pressure,” said Costello.

“We went 6-0 down, we were disappointed with two poor penalties, but the lads stayed really calm. I thought we were unlucky in the first-half not to score that maul up in the top left, we probably felt like we deserved that but we came in 6-3 down, and everyone was really calm at half-time.

We focused on two things: out-working them and having to win the physical battle, and we set ourselves up to do that. Everything we did for the last 10 days has been about that challenge, and we made sure that lads were incredibly fresh, and we had huge energy from the bench to really finish strong. I thought that paid off tonight.”

At half-time Munster had just three points to their name, with Saracens edging a scrappy and niggly opening 40 minutes 6-3, with all the scores coming from penalties.

“We hadn’t had a lot of chances,” Costello said.

“They are a very difficult side to break down and play the type of game where you don’t get a lot of opportunities, because they kick so well and have a strong setpiece.

“If they got ahead, I felt if they went beyond seven it would have been difficult, and that was key, at 6-0 and 9-3 we had a couple of massive defensive sets. We didn’t concede a try tonight and probably only once they looked like scoring which was pleasing.

“At half time we took a lot of reassurance in that, and everything was about freshness. We set ourselves up in the last 10 days to be fresh for the type of battle that it was, and that probably came through in the end.” 

It leaves Munster second in Pool 3, one point off Northampton Saints ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Franklin’s Gardens. Northampton top the pool on 10 points after losing away to Stade Francais today.

Having welcomed key players in the form of Conor Murray and Jack O’Donoghue back this week, Munster hope to have more of injured men back available for the Northampton game, with Peter O’Mahony in contention to return.

“The beauty of it is, since the last time we sat here (after Leinster defeat), we got five players back and there’s a huge amount of leadership in that group as well if you work through them – (Diarmuid) Barronsy, the two Jacks (Crowley and O’Donoghue) and Diarmuid Kilgallen, who is back but wasn’t selected. He will come into the mix over the next few weeks.

“That made a huge difference for the likes of Tadhg (Beirne) and in key moments we could feel that the team were really in control, really calm, and decisive around what we were trying to do, especially when we made a few mistakes.”