It has been more “Bah Humbug” than “Ho Ho Ho” for the Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup this weekend but Munster can bag themselves an early Christmas present at Vicarage Road this afternoon. It’s not exactly win or bust for Rob Penney’s men but a victory today would leave them in control of Pool 1 ahead of the final two rounds of matches in mid-January.

Kick-off is at 3pm so we’re just about ready to go.

Here are the team-sheets. One late change for Munster — Dave Kilcoyne has been forced out through illness so Wian du Preez starts at loosehead with veteran Marcus Horan on the bench.

Saracens: A Goode; C Ashton, J Tomkins, B Barritt, D Strettle; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; R Gill, S Brits, M Stevens; S Borthwick (c), M Botha; G Kruis, W Fraser, K Brown.

Replacements: J Smit, M Vunipola, P Du Plessis, E Sheriff, E Joubert, N de Kock, C Hodgson, C Wyles.

Munster: F Jones; D Howlett (c), C Laulala, J Downey, S Zebo; R O’Gara, C Murray; W du Preez, M Sherry, BJ Botha, D O’Callaghan, D Ryan; D O’Callaghan, P O’Mahony, J Coughlan.

Replacements: D Varley, M Horan, S Archer, B Holland, P Butler, D Williams, I Keatley, L O’Dea.

Before the action gets underway, there’ll be a minute’s silence for former Sale player David Tait who died earlier this week at the age of 25.

KICK OFF: We’re up and running in Vicarage Road as Owen Farrell, back in at 10 today, kicks off.

Our referee today is Jerome Garces, which will be good news to anybody who watched the penalty-happy performance of Pascal Gauzere in Thomond last weekend.

Munster win the first battle at the breakdown as Coughlan and O’Gara hold up Ashton in a maul, forcing the turnover. It sets off a little bit of handbags which finally fizzles out as referee Garces pleads with the players to “stop now please.”

Penalty Saracens as the Munster front-row comes under pressure in the scrum. Farrell kicks deep into Munster territory where the line-out lets the hosts set up their first scoring platform of the day.

If anyone was wondering which Owen Farrell might show up for Sarries today, the first indicator is a missed drop goal directly in front of the posts.

Sarries do well to keep the ball in hand and grind out a few extra yards when Gill thunders through the defensive line. Despite Borthwick’s protests that Munster are slowing the ball, there’s no penalty and when it’s worked back to Farrell on the edge of the 22, he tries to pop over the opening score. It looks good but Garces signals that it has drifted right and wide.

PENALTY! Saracens 3-0 Munster (Farrell, 9′) Munster concede a kickable penalty from O’Gara’s restart and Farrell makes no mistake this time, splitting the posts.

Wonderful flash of inspiration by O’Gara as he dinks the ball over the advancing Saracens line. Simon is first on hand to collect and chews up the ground in midfield. The momentum is lost when Sherry knocks on but that’s the first real signal of intent from Munster. Lovely move.

MISSED PENALTY! Both front-rows go down in a heap at the scrum, and it’s Gill who is penalised for not binding correctly. From out near the right touchline, ROG has a chance to level it but miscues badly and doesn’t even trouble the posts. The wolf whistles ring out around Vicarage Road.

PENALTY! Saracens 3-3 Munster (O’Gara, 17′) Farrell does well to get up and claim a high ball but as soon as he hits the ground, he comes under enormous pressure from Munster and concedes the penalty for holding on. O’Gara has a chance to make amends immediately and does so from directly in front of the posts.

Worrying sight for Munster as Felix Jones can only hobble after Farrell’s positional kick, and then slumps to the ground for treatment as the ball finds touch.

SUBSTITUTION: That looks to be Jones’ last action of the afternoon. He goes off to be replaced by Luke O’Dea, with Zebo switching in to full back.

TRY! Saracens 10-3 Munster (Strettle, 22′) Confusion as the Munster back three reconfigures itself following that substitution and Sarries take advantage to score the game’s opening try. Credit to Richard Wigglesworth who spots the space in behind a rather flat Munster line and weights his grubber perfectly for Strettle to pounce. Farrell adds the extras.

TRY! Saracens 10-10 Munster (Howlett, 26′) What a response from Munster and they’re back on level terms within minutes. Owen Farrell, who might as well have grabbed a mic and announced his pass over the stadium tannoy, throws an intercept to James Downey. There’s still a lot of work to be done as he breaks for the line and it’s captain Dougie Howlett who gets up on his shoulder to collect the off-load. Brilliant and clever support play. O’Gara converts and we’re level.

Ronan O’Gara is in form this afternoon. He’s two out of three from his kicks at goal so far, but it’s his open-play contribution that’s really moving Sarries about and creating opportunities for Munster.

Just under 10 to play in this second half as Farrell pins Munster back close to their line.

Laulala times his tackle perfectly as he steps up to crunch Chris Ashton. The ball spills to O’Gara and Munster launch an immediate counter as O’Dea and Zebo chase down Goode. Fortunately for the Sarries’ full-back, Wigglesworth and Barritt are on hand to help him and they combine to clear.

From a line-out, Joel Tompkins attacks the 10 channel and makes a huge line break. There looks to be a sliver of space for Strettle to sneak through but he’s wrapped up short of the line and forced into touch. After a cagey start, this has developed into an explosive end-to-end battle.

Three minutes left and we’ve a break in play as Peter O’Mahony needs treatment. For those counting the penalties, Sarries have conceded six to Munster’s three. O’Gara opts for the corner but Saracens manage to force the turnover through Farrell, break down field and win the penalty of their own. Farrell will have a chance to send the hosts in three points in front…

MISSED PENALTY! Call it gamesmanship or call it bare-faced cheek, depending on your point of view, but Farrell is ticked off by referee Garces as he tries to move the penalty a few yards infield to give himself a better angle for the kick at goal. He obviously didn’t fancy the position and, though you’d expect an international out-half to make it, it starts right and never turns back in. A bad miss and it looks like the sides will go in level.

HALF TIME: Saracens 10-10 Munster That’s it as the sides head in for the break. Nothing to choose between them and though Saracens have had more of the ball and in better positions, Munster will be happy with how they’ve played.

“Did Farrell headbutt Zebo?” asks Phil O’Meara in the comments. If he did, I didn’t see it but there has been plenty of pushing and shoving after the whistle as the two teams try to get that psychological edge.

SECOND HALF: Ronan O’Gara gets us up and running for the second half. A big 40 minutes for Munster’s European prospects.

Chris Ashton is in the right place at the right time as the ball pops loose out of Luke O’Dea’s arms. Through a crowd of players, he kicks Sarries inside the Munster 22 and from the resulting line-out, it’s another penalty for the hosts.

MISSED PENALTY! That’s another bad miss from Farrell who lets a relatively straightforward kick slip wide to the right. He’s done a lot of good things this afternoon but much like last Saturday in Thomond, these missed kicks could cost Sarries dearly.

Brad Barritt looks to do damage with some good broken field running but Munster regroup and Ryan and Coughlan do brilliantly to stop the surge.

Munster are hunting in packs and their pressure brings about another penalty. Ashton takes a high ball but his progress is stalled by O’Dea and then Coughlan leads the back-row cavalry in to force the turnover. ROG will have a chance here…

PENALTY! Saracens 10-13 Munster (O’Gara, 52′) He nails it. Munster lead and if they can keep up the same intensity at the breakdown, this game is there for the taking.

Sarries power forward from a lineout close to the Munster line, but replacement scrum-half Neil de Kock misjudges the pass and it slips away off Farrell’s fingertips. An unforced error and a good chance wasted by Sarries.

PENALTY! Saracens 13-13 Munster (Farrell, 57′) Excellent by Saracens at the scrum who drive Munster back off the ball to earn a penalty under the posts. It’s a chip shot for Farrell and he makes no mistake.

Saracens have had about 80% possession in this second half but the Munster defence is at its aggressive best. Laulala is on top of Farrell before he knows and it absolutely flattens the out-half.

PENALTY! Saracens 16-13 Munster (Farrell, 60′) Farrell has another chance and he takes this one, slotting the penalty from 40 yards. Saracens lead with a quarter to play.

It’s hard to fault Alex Goode, but if you leave Ronan O’Gara a postage stamp of space, he will find it. Munster are on the front foot again as they try to level things up.

YELLOW CARD! (Fraser, 62′) That could be a game-changer in what is still a very tight game. Dougie Howlett is jinking his way through tackles when he’s caught high by Fraser. Referee Jerome Garces has no second-thoughts about producing the yellow. Sarries down to 14.

Shades of last season’s heroics as Munster hammer and hammer and hammer their way through 25 seasons. The Sarries defence is unrelenting though and when O’Gara sits into the pocket for the drop at goal, he hangs it up to the right and wide. 15 minutes to play.

I’m not sure if you can ever describe an out-half’s performance as “flawless,” but Ronan O’Gara is doing a damn good job of trying here. He completely shifts the tone of the play with a precision 60-yard kick which hops once or twice into touch a few yards short of the Sarries line.

The hosts will be back to their full complement in about two minutes.

Ten to play. Marcus Horan comes on to replace Wian du Preez as Fraser prepares to rejoin the action.

Matt Stevens concedes a penalty and O’Gara has a chance to level the match.

MISSED PENALTY! You’d back ROG all day, every day to land this, particularly under pressure, but he drags it left. The clock’s ticking for Munster with eight minutes left. That could be a key moment.

Mike Sherry gives the Sarries fans minor heart failure as he picks out a gap and ploughs forward. It’s knocked on in the tackle though when the chance for a pass was there.

PENALTY! Saracens 19-13 Munster (Farrell, 77′) Zebo is pinged for holding on under pressure and after passing up far easier opportunities this afternoon, Farrell keeps his head when it matters. Munster will need a converted try now.

Munster won’t give up without a fight but Sarries hold strong inside the 22 and force the knock on as Munster go wide. Less than two minutes.

FULL TIME: Saracens 19-13 Munster And so ends an utterly forgettable weekend for the Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup. Munster didn’t do a whole lot wrong, but in the end, the resilience of Saracens’ defence has won the day for them.

So Munster are down but by no means out. There’s no more margin for error but a place in the quarter-finals is still a possibility with two more wins.

That’s all from us for this afternoon. Thanks for reading and for your comments.