sport news Northampton Saints 24-14 Munster: Late brace from substitute George Hendy ... trends now
Northampton stayed on course for Premiership and Champions Cup glory and Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson said his team's supporters could dream of what would be a remarkable double.
This was an epic European encounter, Dowson's men following fellow English sides Harlequins and Exeter into the quarter-finals. Northampton will face South African giants Bulls in the last eight.
Saints will surely fancy their chances. They are currently five points clear at the top of the Premiership table and will have home advantage against the Bulls on Saturday night.
Asked if he thought a double was a realistic achievement, Dowson said: 'Yes, I think so but we have got to keep our feet on the ground. We've got a short turnaround for the Bulls.
'They are a very, very talented group. They've got some big men and power and athleticism throughout their squad. There is an element of relief.
George Hendy (L) inspired Northampton Saints to a 24-14 win over Munster on Sunday
Hendy scored two tries late on to help maintain the hosts' push for a historic double this year
Munster started the match so brightly but saw their European hopes dashed after the defeat
'I thought we looked a little bit nervous. In the second half we looked much more like ourselves.'
One of the most famous days in Northampton's history saw them beat Munster to claim European glory at Twickenham in 2000. Now, Saints supporters are dreaming of a repeat.
This was the English side's second victory over the Irish province this season and they deserved it. A late brace from substitute George Hendy proved the difference.
Starting backs James Ramm and Fin Smith both had fine games, as did hooker Curtis Langdon who is pushing hard for England summer tour selection after a superb season.
But the impact of Hendy off the bench was hugely significant. He finished off a brilliant team try on the hour mark as Saints delivered some sizzling rugby.
Fly-half Smith sent Ollie Sleightholme into a gap and Ramm, the outstanding Australian full-back only just back from injury, was in support. Hendy finished it off with an acrobatic dive into the corner.
Hendy's second was just as good. With Saints on the attack, the pass to the 21-year-old was well behind him. It forced him to turn backwards to pick up possession, but that didn't bother Hendy as he swatted Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley and Simon Zebo aside to make it two.
'He's a freak of an athlete,' Dowson said of Hendy.
It was the final nail in the Munster coffin. The Irish giants, so often a dominant force in this competition, revealed afterwards their squad had been hit hard by illness in the build-up.
Saints director Phil Dowson insisted his side have to keep their feet on the ground after the win
James Ramm was in sensational form for the hosts and scored one try during the match
Munster head coach Graham Rowntree, a former England assistant, said: 'It's not been the most straightforward week in terms of selection but we rolled our sleeves up and got on with it for a big game against a great team. We had a bit of a bug going around the group.
'There were some big swings in the game where we could have scored a try if someone held a pass, but they won the ball back and a few phases later, they scored.
'They were so good on transition. But those errors, I thought we gifted them.'
Munster captain Tadhg
