Munster lead by eight at the break

Saracens 7 Munster 15

Ronan O’Gara and Alan Quinlan scored tries during a gripping first half as Munster edged ahead against Heineken Cup semi-final opponents Saracens at the Ricoh Arena.

Saracens boss and former Munster rugby director Alan Gaffney fielded the same pack that outmuscled quarter-final opponents the Ospreys three weeks ago, which meant England World Cup winner Richard Hill featuring in possibly his final game before retirement.

Munster made one just change from the side that accounted for Gloucester, recalling prop Marcus Horan after he missed the Kingsholm quarter-final due to a back spasm suffered just before kick-off.

The Ricoh Arena was close to its 32,000 capacity, but Saracens stunned Munster’s travelling army of supporters by conjuring a stunning try inside five minutes.

Full-back Richard Haughton ran from close to his line, but Munster looked to have snuffed out any danger when they hauled him down just 20 metres further up field.

Wing Kameli Ratuvou had other ideas though, and his kick into space saw him gather and send centre Adam Powell on a lung-busting run deep into Munster territory.

Like Haughton before him, Powell was tackled, yet the supporting Ratuvou reacted quickest, gathered possession and dived over, claiming a touchdown that Glen Jackson converted.

Munster were stung into action, and although fly-half O’Gara booted an eighth-minute penalty, it came after a golden try-scoring chance went begging when centre Rua Tipoki flung a forward pass to unmarked wing Ian Dowling.

Saracens were not ruffled by the let-off, and they stormed back up field to regain a grip on possession and territory.

Ratuvou continued to cause havoc, testing Munster’s defence by roaming in from his wing at regular intervals, and the Irish side tried to regain parity through repeated forward driving.

It forced Saracens back into their own 22, and they could not prevent a defensive scrum from wheeling, offering Munster a gilt-edged chance.

And the try Munster threatened arrived when scrum-half Tomas O’Leary found O’Gara, who sliced through Saracens’ defence to make it 8-7.

O’Gara’s conversion soared high above the posts, so high in fact that both touch judges could not award it. Referee Nigel Owens opted for assistance from the video official Derek Bevan, but he also ruled against Munster.

It was the cue for Saracens to end the half as they had started it – inside Munster’s 22 – yet a prolonged period of pressure came to nothing.

And Munster administered a huge blow on the stroke of half-time after wing Doug Howlett’s break caused panic in Saracens’ defence, and flanker Quinlan galloped over unopposed for a try that O’Gara converted.