Northampton have secured a win at the death against Munster, holding out a sensational last-minute effort from the Irish province to win 34-32.
It was an eighty-minute battle in Franklin's Gardens that had all the trademark grit, bruises and tension of a traditional European night.
Unfortunately for Ian Costello's men, even a 78th-minute try from Diarmuid Kilgannen and an electric 80th-minute break from Jack Crowley weren't enough to topple pool leaders Northampton who managed to cling onto their slim advantage throughout a nail-biting second half.
While Munster couldn't secure a win, stellar performances from Jack Crowley, Calvin Nash, Mike Haley and Diarmuid Kilgallen crashed the province over the whitewash no fewer than four times to secure a try bonus point.
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Zebo backs Crowley for Ireland start after Northampton performance
If nothing else, Jack Crowley delivered a statement performance that put Simon Easterby on notice, expertly controlling his backline and picking holes in Northampton's renowned defence.
Speaking on co-commentary about whether Crowley's performance was enough to see him put a stamp on Ireland's starting ten jersey, Simon Zebo was in little doubt that his fellow Munster man was deserving of the start.
He (Sam Prendergast) is a top class operator and I love watching him play he's got all the skills.
But I still think Jack's the man with the jersey and rightly so after what he's done in a short space of time with not only Munster, but Ireland too and we're seeing it on full display today.
His kicking's been excellent, passing...and getting an exit like that is demoralising for the Saints.
Crowley's performance guaranteed that nothing is certain in the race to start Ireland's first Six Nations game against England next month.
Calvin Nash was another man who threw his name right back in the hat to be a part of that Ireland team, with the Munster wing topping off an emphatic performance with two tries, one on his own wing, one on the other.
However, for Munster, the two-point loss leaves them second in Pool 3 and likely facing an away tie in the round of sixteen.
Saracens, who currently sit in third place, will head to Castres on Sunday only needing a win to overtake Munster and take the home tie for themselves.
