Ludlam: Saints need to find a way to start faster

Captain Lewis Ludlam was proud of Northampton Saints’ second-half comeback in their 27-23 defeat against Munster, but was left wondering why they were unable to start the game in the same manner.

Saints have now lost their three matches so far in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup, meaning they cannot reach the Last 16 of the competition with one match, against Stade Rochelais, remaining in Pool B.

Not for the first time in the campaign, the men in Black, Green & Gold were left to rue a slow start – one Munster took full advantage of as they built a 24-0 lead going into half-time at Thomond Park.

This came despite a red card for blindside Jack O’Donoghue and while Saints were very impressive in making the most of their one-man advantage after the break, their comeback fell just short.

“We definitely fired some shots in the second half. I couldn’t be prouder with how the boys came out the blocks after being 24 points down,” Ludlam said.

“We understood there was an advantage, obviously, with the red card. However, I think our mindset in the second half was remarkable.

“However, we need to find a way of coming out of the blocks like that, especially away from home, and find a way to get in a zone where our mindset is to go for them straight off the bat.

“We didn’t quite do that until too late, really.”

Just as he was in the reverse fixture at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens last month, Munster No.8 Gavin Coombes was Saints’ nemesis as he made it a ‘double-double’ against them this season by scoring twice.

In between his tries was an effort by O’Donoghue, who was sent off in the 23rd minute for a dangerous tackle to the head of David Ribbans, during a first half where the visitors struggled to gain a foothold.

When asked why this was the case, Ludlam said: “We gave them opportunities to piggy-back up the field through our discipline, from free kicks.

“A team like this are going to work you up the field and when they got into our 22, they took their opportunities as well.

“We said it all week if you slip off for two seconds, a team like this are going to take their opportunities, and we gave them too many in that first half.”

Whatever Saints said to each other at half-time clearly had the desired effect as they fought their way back into the contest in Limerick through tries by Tommy Freeman and James Ramm, and 13 points off the boot of Fin Smith.

‘Winning’ the second half 23-3 meant they came just short of pulling off what would have been one of the greatest comebacks in the Club’s history, with them unable to mount a final spell of pressure after Smith’s third penalty brought them back to within four points.

“We’re still searching for a win in this competition,” Ludlam said. “We felt it was easier to take the three points and work ourselves back down the pitch to get a try. That was the decision on the pitch.

“We needed a win in this competition and that’s what we went for in the end.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t quite come off and we didn’t execute the kick-off well enough, but I think the real work-on is how we come out of the blocks in that first half.”