Sale Sharks 26
Munster 27
MUNSTER BATTLED BACK from a 16-point half-time deficit to claim an opening day victory in the Champions Cup.
The win was sealed with a nerveless 35-metre drop-goal from Ian Keatley in added time after a breathless series of phases from the visitors in search of what, for long periods, looked like an unlikely win.
The Danny Cipriani-inspired Sharks shocked their way to a 23 – 7 half-time lead thanks to tries from Magnus Lund and Johnny Leota.
Munster, however, don’t know when to quit in this competition and second half tries from Andrew Conway and Conor Murray shot them right back into the game to set up the grandstand finish.
Anthony Foley’s side started off in much the same manner as they finished, absolutely brimming with intent. CJ Stander imposed his physicality on the game early on and when Dave Kilcoyne drove his way over the line to claim a 10th minute try, it looked as though the southern province were set to cruise through their opening day.
From there though, the first half went horribly wrong the visitors. By the time injured referee Mathieu Raynal was replaced after a long delay, Cipriani had landed a third penalty of the day, a massive effort from over 50 metres, to edge the Sharks in front.
By now, Munster were firmly on the back foot. Starved of possession and unable to impact the Sale breakdown, the defensive line became porous with Johnny Leota and Sam Tuitupou causing havoc outside Cipriani.
Lund’s try was a close-range conversion of a chance created by the England international, the Norwegian stretching to touch the ball down in the corner. Just five minutes later Sale had another try and Munster’s hope of laying down an opening day marker had unravelled before their eyes.
Fullback Michael Haley found the gap in the Munster defensive line inside the 22 and though Leota was faced with two defenders, he left them trailing in his wake.
Sale took a commanding 23 – 7 advantage in to half-time and it may even have been more after Tommy O’Donnell picked up a 34th minute yellow card.
It couldn’t have gotten much worse, but there was a sharp improvement after O’Donnell’s return. The red back row began to force errors from Cipriani and within 10 minutes, they had set up camp in the opposition 22.
After a period of intense pressure, where Munster were made to sweat and the spell looked on the verge of breaking down time and again, Conway ducked his head and drove through two defenders off a Murray pass.
Murray came close to adding another try minutes later only to be denied by a TMO call, but with 15 minutes remaining, the Lions scrum-half picked up after a strong carry from O’Mahony to dot down in the corner. Keatley’s conversion was from a difficult angle, but a combination of swerve, wind and post brought it in just far enough to leave Munster trailing by two points.
Penalties were traded on either side before the 71st minute. Just the grandstand finish that Munster have made their name on.
With time ticking down fast, Paul O’Connell’s maul rumbled its way into the opposition 22. Deep in hearts-in-mouth time, Munster’s forwards were asked to make hard yards after the maul was brought to a halt. And after Keatley was forced to run laterally on his first kickable opportunity, it looked like this was one that just would not come for Munster.
Keatley and Munster are made of tougher stuff than some would have you believe, and when the foundation was laid again, he caught the ball cleanly and and turned to punch the air in celebration long before the ball sailed across the bar.
ROG would be proud.
Scorers
Sale Sharks:
Tries: M Lund, J Leota
Conversions: D Cipriani (2)
Penalties: D Cipriani (4)
Munster:
Tries: D Kilcoyne, A Conway, C Murray
Conversion: I Keatley (3)
Penalty: I Keatley
Drop-goal: I Keatley
Sale Sharks: Michael Haley; Tom Brady, Johnny Leota, Sam Tuitupou, Tom Arscott; Danny Cipriani, Chris Cusiter; Eifion Lewis-Roberts, Marc Jones, Vadim Cobilas, Jon Mills, Michael Paterson, Magnus Lund, David Seymour (capt), Mark Easter.
Replacements: Shalva Mamukashvili, Ross Harrison, Alberto de Marchi, Andrei Ostrikov, Josh Beaumont, Will Cliff, Joe Ford, Mark Jennings.
Munster: Felix Jones; Andrew Conway, Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Duncan Casey, Stephen Archer, Dave Foley, Paul O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony (c), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Eusebio Guinazu, James Cronin, BJ Botha, Billy Holland, Robin Copeland, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Gerhard van den Heever.
