George Hendy wasn’t born the last time this famous Northampton ground hosted a Champions Cup knockout match. In 2000 the Saints beat Wasps by just three points in the quarter-finals. The following month they edged Munster to lift the cup and two years down the track a future flying winger entered the world.
This was a contest dripping with narrative but the headline was supplied by Hendy, who scored two breathtaking tries as a substitute to win an epic contest for his team. Having just come on at the hour with the game locked at 14-14, he flew down the right wing with his first touch of the ball to finish with a flourish in the corner. Then with seven minutes to play he gathered a bouncing loose ball and beat two defenders to touch down again.
“The players talk and spend a lot of time on how to beat people, create space, use their skills, their footwork, their fend, and Hendy has been the best at quite a few of those,” Phil Dowson, the Northampton director of rugby, said.
Hendy’s cameo was merely one act across a gripping saga. Munster were brilliant and would have beaten most teams in the Premiership with this performance. Their relentless energy at the breakdown coupled with quick ball out the back was a dizzying sight and belied an illness that had swept through their camp. They closely resembled the Ireland national team at their best – especially with the fly‑half Jack Crowley pulling the strings. Even after going behind to a James Ramm try on 10 minutes, they looked the more threatening side and were 14-7 up after 30 minutes.
Five minutes after Ramm’s try Sean O’Brien refused to be tackled as he wriggled over from close range for the visitors. Munster’s second, to Mike Haley, was similar in design as it was produced by a series of dominant carries. By the time the full-back gathered the ball at the base of the ruck just a few metres from the line, there was no one left in the Northampton green wall to stop him.
Previous iterations of this Saints side would have crumbled after such a prolonged passage on the back foot. Not this lot. Even under pressure in their own red zone they gave the ball air.
Courtney Lawes was magnificent again, crashing over bodies round the fringe and providing options in the wide trams. One carry in Munster’s 22 sucked in defenders which gave Fin Smith the space to find Tommy Freeman on a blind run. Smith’s extras restored parity before the break.
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The second half began in more circumspect fashion. Perhaps it was the prize of a quarter-final that prompted a shift down gear but that only ratcheted up the tension. Just as the story demanded a twist, however, the Saints delivered.
Northampton had a lineout in their own 22 – close enough to the opposition’s try line for this freewheeling outfit. With quick ball off the top, Smith was soon straightening the line with Fraser Dingwall drawing the tackle. Ollie Sleightholme then offered a superb supporting gallop and away he went. With an overlap forming he found Freeman who had the ability to catch and pass at full tilt before 21-year-old Hendy completed the score with a flourish in the corner having just come on as a substitute.
“There were some big swings in the game where we could have scored but they won the ball back and scored,” said Munster’s frustrated head coach, Graham Rowntree, as his captain, Tadhg Beirne, coughed throughout the post-match press conference. “Those errors I thought we gifted them.”
Smith missed the conversion and later fluffed a penalty shot at goal. Both kicks required a teammate to hold the ball still rather than risk it being blown off a tee.
That kept Munster within arm’s reach and now the reigning United Rugby Championship title holders had just over 10 minutes left to rescue the game. It was not to be. Hendy’s second stunner capped off a breathless exhibition.
It’s been a long wait for days such as this in the east Midlands and now, thanks to a 21-year-old’s magic contribution, they are starting to believe the good times are here to stay.
