Denis Leamy on his 'Hail Mary' against the Saints when…

Denis Leamy on his 'Hail Mary' against the Saints when they last played Munster at Thomond Park

Denis Leamy delivered a famous Hail Mary the last time Munster played Northampton Saints at Thomond Park.

Now the Reds' defence coach, former Ireland flanker Leamy came off the bench to play a massive part in the breathtaking finale in the European tie in November 2011.

The clubs meet again in Limerick on Saturday and, looking out over the iconic Thomond pitch after a high-octane training session in the driving rain yesterday, Leamy smiled as he recalled that thrilling last encounter there.

The Tipp man said: "I remember coming off the bench and Shaun Payne saying to me, 'be disciplined'. I nearly had a conniption on the side of the pitch.

"I was like, 'just leave me alone, I want to come on and make an impact! Don't be talking to me about my discipline!'

"Then I come on and I have a row with Paulie (O'Connell) after about two minutes because I'm standing in the wrong place for a lineout and that really energised me."

Leamy threw himself into the action when he was introduced as a 67th minute sub for James Coughlan - and was front and centre as Munster made slow progress up the pitch in the dying moments, trying to get O'Gara into drop goal range.

Remarkably, Munster held onto possession through 41 phases - and then it was Leamy who acted as scrum-half to deliver the crucial pass to O'Gara. He nailed the game's last kick for a 23-21 victory.

"I carried the ball about 10 times in five minutes and I ended up at the end of it," he said. "I could barely walk, I was in the ruck... it just happened to be me.

"In the corner of my eye I caught that ROG was back, I flung a 'Hail Mary' out, it landed on his right side, he popped it over.

"It was amazing, how we controlled the ball for 40 phases I don't know but there seemed to be that belief in that team.

"A week later we went to Castres and did something similar. That was a special night and that was a really good Northampton team.

Heineken Cup 12/11/2011 Munster vs Northampton Saints Munster's Denis Leamy Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Billy Stickland (©INPHO/Billy Stickland)

"They'd won a couple of Premierships, had been beaten in a European Cup final. "Over the years we've had some really good games, the European Cup final in 2000, that era we had about three years running where we played each other an awful lot.

"There was a real rivalry built up, a healthy rivalry, always unbelievably physical, tough games. You always know you were in a game, that's a fact.

"They were really good, but we found a way that night. One of the great nights."

Bizarrely, when Ireland beat France in Paris at the start of their 2018 Grand Slam journey it also took 41 phases before Johnny Sexton scored 'Le Drop'.

Leamy remembers that final attack from Munster as a chaotic series of events.

"We ran out of shape and structure," he said. "There was no shape to us, we were all over the place but it was just about trying to eke out way up the pitch, finding a way to get O'Gara in front of the posts, that was the thing.

"We went back about three times, then forward, then back. We lost the ball, I think I actually dropped it at one stage and got a fingertip on it.

"You're one mistake away (from losing), but we kept control and the belief that you can get ROG in place was the great strength of that team.

"Obviously there were some very seasoned players who were very astute. An amazing moment. I just knew he'd be there. You play with a guy for 10 years, you've a fair idea where he's going to be.

"With ROG, he didn't have to shout... I don't know where Tomas (O'Leary) was, he was probably doing my job.

"So, yeah, I flung out a 'Hail Mary' off my left, he just had to pop it over. I'd the hard job done for him!"

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