Northampton Saints vs Munster Rugby Preview
The Knockout stage of the European Rugby Champions Cup begins this weekend. One fixture that promises excitement is Northampton Saints vs Munster Rugby. Northampton is the best team in the English Premiership, and they have been faultless in the cup competition. Munster has a solid record in the United Rugby Championship but struggled during the group stages. The teams face off on Sunday, April 7th, at 12:30 pm.
The Saints are one of the most dangerous teams in European Rugby this season, having won nine of their last ten games. They won every ERCC game, including the group-stage match against Munster. Since the Irish side lost at home to Northampton, they are yet to lose. Munster will be confident when they journey to the Cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens. However, can they take out one of the tournament’s frontrunners?
Northampton Saints vs Munster Rugby Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The two iconic rugby union clubs have faced off eight times in the past 15 years. The English side won the first meeting in 2009 but had to wait until late January 2024 to repeat the feat. Munster won six consecutive matches against the Saints, a streak that ended during the Investec Champions Cup this season.
Munster vs Northampton took place on January 20th as the last game of the 2024 group stage. The visitors were the first to break the deadlock with a Mitchell try. The game changed in the 38th minute when Furbank picked up a yellow card for the Saints. Frisch responded with a score for Munster, and the referee further punished the visitors by sending off Langdon for Northampton. Unfortunately, the Irish side could not capitalise on the extra-man advantage. A Fin Smith masterclass saw him kick 14 points in the final 40 minutes, taking the victory as it finished 23-26.
The group stage game a couple of months ago was feisty. The first two scores of the match involved fantastic skill, and the crowd was up for the battle. You would have thought the red card would take the wind out of the Northampton Saints’ sails, but they came back strong. The brilliant kicks from Smith inspired the Saints, and they deserved the win at the final whistle. A defeat to 14 men will hurt Munster. Can they use this pain to get revenge this weekend?
The last time the Northampton Saints hosted Munster was in December 2022. All the points came in the first half, but there were plenty of talking points in the second 40 minutes. Northampton and Munster had a player sent to the sin bin after 52 minutes, but Munster’s poor discipline continued. After the referee punished Ludlam and O’Donoghue for a scuffle off the ball, Casey went to the sin bin for a tackle in the air. Munster was lucky, as it should have been a penalty try to Northampton. In the 67th minute, the fourth yellow card was out for Carberry. Somehow, the monumental defence of Munster hung on for a 6-17 win in England.
Even though Munster lost to the 14 men from Northampton, the same occurred when the teams met in January 2023. O’Donoghue got sent off for Munster after 23 minutes and the Saints scored 23 points in the second half to close the gap. However, with a man down for most of the game, Munster hung on for a 27-23 victory. There have been six yellow cards and two red in the last three meetings between the sides. Munster and the Northampton Saints share the bookings with three yellows and one red each.
A big one coming up on Sunday as we go on the road to Northampton in the Champions Cup 💪#InvestecChampionsCup #NORvMUN #SUAF 🔴 pic.twitter.com/GUd27ScIso
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) April 2, 2024
Looking at the previous three games and the number of times the referee has brandished a card tells us a lot about this upcoming match. No love is lost between these sides and they will do what it takes to secure a win. Munster started this season with several woeful performances. The Irish team ended 2023 on a three-game losing streak and lost the group stage match at home against the Saints in January. Since then, they have won five games in a row in all competitions. Although the Northampton Saints dropped the ball against Bristol two weeks ago, they have won every match since mid-November. Has Munster found form at the right time to challenge for the ERCC this year?
Northampton Saints vs Munster Rugby Predictions
Prediction: Northampton Saints 27-24 Munster
While Munster has turned a corner in 2024, it does not look enough to challenge Northampton. The Saints have been phenomenal for most of the season, and we don’t predict that will change this weekend. Munster will put in a good shift, and the score will be tight throughout the match. We predict the home side will win by three points at the final whistle.
Predicting rugby matches is always exciting, but the knockout stage of the cup adds fuel to the fire. Munster is not performing at their best this season. They were lucky to stay in the ERCC, as they only won one group game. The Saints were unbeaten in the division, showing they had no trouble dispatching the Irish side. The only glimmer of hope Munster has is that Northampton lost to the Bristol Bears two weeks ago.
The past few times these teams have faced off have seen multiple cards brandished by the referee. There have been on-field scuffles, cynical yellow cards, and even foul play resulting in a straight red. These factors will certainly rear their ugly head into this game, which makes live betting incredibly difficult. This match could change at the drop of the hat, and having a man advantage is not enough. Twice in the past three fixtures, the team with 14 has beaten a full-strength side.
Betting on this rugby match will be unique. While we favour the hosts this weekend, there is a lot of uncertainty heading into this game. Munster has found form, winning five games in a row, including a club friendly against the Crusaders. Has this come at the right time to challenge a side that has only lost once in ten matches? We predict the Northampton Saints will win this match, but they must do it the hard way. Munster will challenge them, defend as a unit, and look for gaps to exploit. They won’t hold any punches and at least one player will wind up in the sin bin.
Northampton Saints vs Munster Rugby Betting Tips
If you are betting on the ERCC, you must consider the gravity of this match. It’s a single-leg game where the winner progresses to the quarterfinals, and the losers head home. These matches are vitally important for Munster, as the prospect of silverware is fading rapidly from this campaign. They are only fourth in the United Rugby Championship, but already 11 points off Leinster. However, the Northampton Saints are bossing the English Premiership and are a frontrunner for the cup competition. Can they continue to battle on all fronts?
Looking at the odds at our online sports betting site, there is no surprise who is the favourite. Northampton has odds of 4/11 for an outright prediction. Betting on the Saints will turn your €10 stake into €13.64 at full-time. While nobody can argue that they are the most likely to win in this match, the Irish side has some appeal. Betting on Munster this week with odds worth 9/4 will return €32.50 from a ten-euro bet. They are the underdogs, but a small wager could prove worthwhile if the impossible happens.
Our rugby prediction this week is for a Northampton Saints victory over Munster, but the score will be tight. Looking at the handicap wagers at Novibet, the smallest market is -5.5 to the hosts. That means the visitors must lose by six points or more for this bet to come good. Our score prediction is for three points to separate the teams at full-time, which favours the Irish side. Betting on Munster at +5.5 will give you over double your stake. The bet is a winner if the visitors can stay within five points.
The winning margin market is a great option for anyone betting on the ERCC. If you are confident, you can predict the Saints to win by one to seven points at the final whistle. The odds at our online sports betting platform for this wager are worth 5/2. If the home side wins by seven points or fewer, a €10 bet will give you €35. Even though the English side is the clear favourite, there are plenty of rewarding rugby bets this week.
If you are unsure about which bet to place, there is one way you can negate some risk. Sign up for Novibet and use our unique welcome bonus. You can use your bonus on a rugby wager this week, and if you are successful, the winnings are yours to keep. If your bet fails, you can keep your deposited funds or use them on a different fixture. The choice is yours.
After 187 appearances across nine years in Black, Green and Gold, @paulhill101 is set to leave the Club at the end of the season.
A big character both on and off the field – let's go out on a high, Hilly 🖤💚💛
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) April 2, 2024
Northampton Saints Team News
There is some sad news for Northampton Saints fans as the club announced this week Paul Hill will depart at the end of the season. The prop will join Edinburgh Rugby after 187 appearances for the Saints. Following the defeat at Bristol, Director of Rugby Phil Dowson spoke about the team responding well to the criticism. They made eight changes to the team between the game against Bristol and the match with the Saracens. Will they settle on the 15 or change the lineup for the cup game against Munster?
Munster Rugby Team News
The large injury list at Munster is slowly decreasing, as Jack O’Donoghue is back in full training. The medical team is yet to rule out RG Snyman and Calvin Nash from a return. Contract news this week includes new deals for Jack Daly and Conor Murray. Plus, they promoted Brian Gleeson from the academy to the first team starting next season.
Chris Moore has left the club for a short loan to the Ospreys as cover for injured players, and Brian Gleeson is recovering from his surgery. However, several players have no update on their physical condition. Still waiting to return include Patrick Campbell, Fineen Wycherley, Liam Coombes, Oli Jager, Dave Kilcoyne, Paddy Patterson, Diarmuid Barron, Jean Kleyn, and Roman Salanoa.
