The Saints looked a good bet to seize a significant 5-0 points lead over Munster in the Pool 1 table when they bagged their third try of the match and stormed 14 points clear of their rivals with 35 minutes of the game remaining.
But a rusty Munster steeled themselves over the remainder of the game to secure a losing bonus point and prevent Northampton from breaching their try line again.
It was the fourth occasion out of five games that Munster had suffered an opening day away defeat to English opposition in the cup. But on the last three occasions Munster lost their opening fixture away to Guinness Premiership opposition, the Irish province has managed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup.
Munster face Italian side Benetton Treviso, fresh from their shock home victory over Perpignan at the weekend, in their second Pool 1 fixture at Thomond Park this Saturday (1.35pm).
Treviso’s stunning 9-8 victory over the French champions ensures there is no chance of Munster taking their opponents lightly this weekend.
Should Tony McGahan’s men defeat Treviso and Perpignan bounce back to winning ways at home to Northampton then Munster’s back-to-back fixtures against the French champions in December could well play a key role in deciding the qualifier or qualifiers from Pool 1.
While the display was a step up from the embarrassing Magners League showing against Leinster a week earlier, several aspects of Munster’s play need to improve further ahead of Saturday’s Italian job.
Munster coughed up some very easy scores to Northampton and again struggled at the breakdown.
Coach Tony McGahan agreed that the side had displayed signs of rustiness with several players making just their second competitive appearance of the season.
“We would like to have our players back a little bit early. We feel we are a week or two underdone. Some of the technical and tactical decisions out there were costly,” Tony McGahan pointed out.
“There was some good stuff too. But I thought that at crucial times we came up short with a throw or a mis-hit in the scrums.
“It was a big improvement (on the Leinster game), but we would agree that there is still a way to go.
“I thought we were brave in the second half, but there is a sense of leaving three points behind.
“At one end we are delighted with the effort. It was brave to come back like we did, 14 points down away from home and be in with a shout in the last four and a half minutes.
“At the same time, a victory this evening would have set us up very well.”
While Munster supporters were left scratching their heads at a number of controversial decisions made by referee Christophe Berdos at the breakdown, captain Paul O’Connell refused to blame the defeat on the French official.
“The way Northampton played, the intensity they played with and their ability to take opportunities was what cost us and not the referee’s decisions,” Munster lock Paul O’Connell insisted.
COLM KINSELLA
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