There are bigger issues on Saracens’ minds these days but they remain just about in contention for one competition, at least, of which they are the champions. An ugly, bad-tempered win over Munster keeps them on the shoulders of the Irishmen in Pool Four, albeit seven adrift of Racing 92. Two tries in the last quarter did for the province, who for most of the match had resisted manfully a rather lacklustre Saracens.

Lacklustre, that is, until a brawl broke out involving virtually every player on the pitch 10 minutes into the second half. The Munster doctor is alleged to have made a comment regarding Jamie George’s weight. Whatever it was, the normally jovial George really did not like it. All hell broke loose. This may not be the last to be heard of the incident, with Sarries considering whether to make a formal complaint.

“I think we need to decide what we are going to do,” said Mark McCall. “From what I know something pretty bad was said to Jamie. Clearly it shouldn’t happen. I don’t think what was said was good at all.”

Owen Farrell, captain for the day, engaged with particular feeling, squaring off with his fellow Lions half-back Conor Murray. Should Farrell suffer from a persecution complex, it would have deepened, as he was penalised for the incident. He had a one-in-30 chance. But the desired effect of a more energised home team was achieved. “I think the team we were in the last 25 minutes is the team we want to be,” said McCall.

They should keep the Munster doctor’s comment on a loop because they needed the hurry-up, despite a more familiar line-up for the home return of this double-header against Munster. After the alternative line-up Saracens fielded in Limerick last week, they elected to go more or less full bore here. There was no Maro Itoje or Brad Barritt but otherwise the usual suspects were in attendance.

Not that there was any noticeable uplift in performance until that final quarter. Saracens are used to shaking off defenders more easily than against this well-organised and feisty Munster team. They rode the loss of their captain, Peter O’Mahony, in the warm-up. Then they lost Tadhg Beirne to a horrible-looking leg injury after only 10 minutes and John Ryan followed him down the tunnel, limping but on his feet at least, before half-time.

A penalty apiece from Farrell and JJ Hanrahan was all the scoreboard had to show for the opening 40, both following attacking lineouts. Breakthroughs, otherwise, were hard to come by. A flat Farrell pass put Max Malins, looking lively at full-back, half through. He was tackled metres short but Saracens could not finish. Malins turned defender for Munster’s closest encounter with the line, hauling down Andrew Conway. Munster could not finish either but their penalty followed in short order. Farrell even missed one. It was shaping up to be that kind of day.

Then the temperature rose early in the second half with that brawl. Hanrahan had edged Munster in front with a penalty a few minutes in, whereupon George started raging. One of the more impassioned brawls of modern times broke out, players crashing over the hoardings in each other’s arms. French referees tend to be more tolerant of this sort of thing than the rest. Monsieur Gaüzère merely picked on Farrell, who had run in from around 10 yards to join the seething throng, for a penalty only. In keeping with the hint of farce Hanrahan missed it.

Saracens emerged from the chaos energised at last, the Vunipola brothers rediscovering themselves. Suddenly, there was a more familiar snap to their game. With quarter of an hour to go they scrummed a series of penalties. Billy Vunipola was held up from the first. Then he knocked on as he charged from the next before, from the third scrum, shrugging through three Munster defenders to release Sean Maitland to the corner for try number one.

His brother was key to the second. Mako stood in between some fine interplay between Farrell and Malins, looking every inch as much the fly-half as either, and Vincent Koch was away, then Nick Tompkins. Vunipola resumed in a more appropriate role when he finished from point-blank range for the try that broke Munster’s resistance.

The quarter-finals remain a long shot but, if Saracens can win their remaining pool matches in January, away at Ospreys and home to Racing, they will be in with a chance for a runners-up spot if Munster drop any points. No pool winner would fancy that visit, all doctors under a strict gagging order.

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