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Saracens set up Munster clash
06/04/2008 15:49 - (SA)
London - Saracens coach Alan Gaffney will renew acquaintance with his old club Munster in the European Cup semi-finals after his present outfit Saracens produced a remarkable display to beat the favourites Ospreys 19-10 here on Sunday.
Man of the match and 2003 World Cup winner Richard Hill, like Gaffney in his final season with the club, led by example as Saracens overcame the odds against an over confident Welsh side - leaving Cardiff to save Wales' honour later against Toulouse - with both teams scoring a try apiece.
The pivotal moment came in the 58th minute with Saracens leading 13-3, after the English side had extended their half-time lead thanks to a try by Argentina's Francisco Leonelli, when Irish referee Alan Lewis yellow carded Lee Byrne for a deliberate knock-on and Glen Jackson converted the resultant penalty to make it 16-3.
The Welsh side, playing well below their best, fought back valiantly and got back into the match when Paul James broke the Saracens defence to touch down, James Hook converting to make it 16-10 with 10 minutes remaining.
However, the English outfit pulled away again when Jackson dropped a brilliant goal to make it 19-10 with just three minutes remaining.
The first-half had been a tight encounter with the two sides exchanging penalties, Saracens edging it 6-3 with James Hook giving the visitors the lead before Jackson slotted two penalties to give the hosts the advantage at the break.
Indeed Saracens could have gone in even further ahead had not Lewis denied veteran South African prop Cobus Visagie a try, and the video referee was to also deny Hugh Vyvyan a touch down early in the second-half.
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Rugby
