Saracens in control after Munster win

Saracens are in control of Pool 1 after a 19-13 defeat of Munster at Vicarage Road today in the fourth round of the Heineken Cup.
Just like last week, there wasn’t much between the two teams and, in the end, the five points the two teams picked up over the back-to-back games seems a fair outcome.
But Munster lost at Racing Metro in the first round meaning Saracens are now two points clear of the French at the top of the pool and three of Munster putting them in favourite position to qualify and also earn a home quarter-final.
Owen Farrell and Ronan O’Gara exchanged a penalty each to see the score leveled at 3-3 after 20 minutes before Saracens drew first blood with Richard Wigglesworth chipping a perfectly weighted kick for winger Dave Strettle to chase and score in the corner.
Farrell kicked the conversion but the seven-point gap was short lived as Munster hit straight back.
James Downey intercepted a loose pass from Farrell and found former All Black Doug Howlett on his shoulder for a 60-metre try.
O’Gara was on song with the conversion and the score was tied up at 10-10 at the break.
Saracens dominated the first exchanges of the second half but, as it happened so often before, it was Munster who took the lead with a penalty from O’Gara with a rare incursion inside Sarrries’ half.
Farrell put the home side leveled on the scoreboard with a straight forward penalty before putting them in front with long range effort on the hour mark.
Saracens’ openside Will Fraser was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Howlett soon after giving Munster an opportunity to strike back but they couldn’t do so as O’Gara missed a drop goal and a penalty during the next ten minutes.
Fraser then went from zero to hero when he earned a penalty with Farrell eventually sealing the win with the resulting penalty kick.