Keatley underlines his mettle
There was little doubt that Anthony Foley and his coaching staff had faith in Ian Keatley as their first-choice out-half coming into this game, but his match-winning drop goal will go some way towards convincing those who had concerns over the 27-year-old.
Keatley was in position for an attempt earlier in the passage, but recovered well when Chris Cusiter got into a strong blocking position. Rather than have a desperate effort, the former Connacht man maintained his composure and waited for a better chance.
When that arrived, he struck the ball sweetly and confidently, showing that he has the mental strength to clinch a tight game, of which there are sure to be more for Munster this season.
Second-half comeback
Having been blitzed by Sale in the first half, Foley’s side won the second 40 minutes on a 20-3 scoreline. The turnaround in momentum was total, as Munster got to grips with the breakdown and finally gained territory.
While Steve Diamond’s Sharks will bemoan their own drop-off in quality after the break, Foley will be encouraged that his side were so improved in the second half. James Cronin, BJ Botha and JJ Hanrahan made a difference off the bench, but this was all about Munster remedying the obvious deficiencies.
Midfield issues
Part of the problem for Munster in the first half was a weak afternoon from their still-developing centre partnership. Andrew Smith again made poor decisions in defence, and he has failed to link up well with Denis Hurley so far this season.
Johnny Leota and Sam Tuitupou were dominant for the first 50 minutes, as they took major advantage of Munster’s poor drift in defence. Too often there were holes in midfield and further out for Foley’s side.
While Hurley again showed that he can offload, there was generally little impact from Munster’s centres with ball in hand. Hanrahan was used off the bench in the centre, looking lively and adding several clever touches.
CJ Stander in beast mode
The South African dominated the contact area from No. 8, making 104 metres over the course of a remarkable 20 carries. He featured prominently in the build-up to all three of Munster’s tries and came up with one of their two linebreaks.
His sheer power stood out throughout at the AJ Bell Stadium, and he looked extremely comfortable in the middle of the back row. An ‘eighthman’ all the way through at underage levels in South Africa, the 24-year-old looks likely to continue there for the immediate future.
Munster fans have been well aware that Stander is capable of these performance for some time now, and Foley is getting his rewards for backing the former Bull as a first-choice player.
Stander qualifies for Ireland next season – an exciting prospect.
Breakdown battleground
Sale might wonder why they weren’t allowed to play advantage when referee Cardona stopped play to eventually sin bin Tommy O’Donnell in the first half, but must also address their own lack of composure in the closing stages.
Of equal importance was how the Sharks conceded dominance of the breakdown in the second half. Munster clearly played a starring role in that shift, after failing to adapt to the technical illegalities being allowed in the first half.
When Foley’s men did begin to blast the tackle zone with less regard after the interval, points followed.
