Thomond Park roar astounds Sarries’ Saull

Saracens flanker Andy Saull says the Thomond Park crowd was the loudest he has ever played in front of and has admitted the noise from the stands disrupted the visitors’ game plan.

Munster beat the former English champions 15-9 at a packed Thomond on Saturday to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive.

All the points came from the boots of Ronan O’Gara and Owen Farrell, and Saull admits Saracens’ back division could not hear each other speak over the din of the 26,500-strong crowd. Yet that is unlikely to be a problem in the return game at Vicarage Road this weekend, where Saracens struggle to draw large crowds — with just 11,047 attending their Heineken Cup quarter-final with Clermont Auvergne last season.