Sharks 22
Munster 22
OF ALL THE pre-game permutations for this game, a draw was not one of them but it was Munster who would have trooped off the Kings Park pitch the happier while for the Sharks this was a huge blow, as they wait to see of they have qualified for the next Champions Cup.
The result means Munster secured a fifth-place finish in the URC table. A defeat with no bonus points would have put the province in danger of missing out on Champions Cup rugby next season.
A month ago, Munster had copped 50 points on this same ground and early in the second half, the Sharks were 22-3 up only for the province to stage a magnificent comeback.
You could say a draw was a fair result given that the Sharks dominated the first 40 and the second half belonged to the men in red.
The Sharks almost scored in the opening exhanges but Springbok captain Siya Kolisi came crashing down with a knee injury. He limped off yet a minute later his Bok teammate, Bongi Mbonambi steamrolled over off the back of the maul for the opening score.
Munster rallied and a well-structured attack produced a penalty for Jack Crowley to kick home.
As anticipated the breakdown was ferociously contested. It was in this department that the Sharks dominated Munster in that Champions Cup game but, clearly, Munster knew what to remedy for this visit.
What the visitors would not have planned was to go a man down – left wing Shane Daly was yellow carded for colliding in the air with Sharks fly-half Curwin Bosch. He was barely off the field when his opposite number, Werner Kok, scored.
The Sharks were rocked shortly after when Bosch went off in some discomfort to be replaced by a Bok returning from injury, Aphelele Fassi, with full-back Boeta Chamberlain moving to 10.
As half-time approached, there was a significant moment when the Sharks’ scrum demolished their opponents. The kick went to the corner and No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe cruised over from the maul, and 19-3 would be the half-time score.
Three minutes into the second half, Chamberlain nailed a 46-metre penalty for a 19-point lead and it seemed to be game over. But the Sharks took the foot off the pedal while the visitors gunned the accelerator.
When Fassi was binned for obstructive running, Munster were also awarded a penalty try to put them firmly back in the game.
Strangely, Munster skipper Peter O’Mahony lost his cool and escalated what had been a harmless scuffle and was yellowed carded for his indiscretion.
With the Munster scrum a man down, the Sharks had no bother winning a scum penalty only for Chamberlain to kick the ball dead and let Munster off.
Munster then cleverly chipped over the Sharks’ defence and wing Calvin Nash gathered to score in the corner.
Munster were on fire after having been subdued in the first half and their comeback continued when Conor Murray went over among a bunch of forwards from a maul.
Ben Healy’s conversion made it 22-22 and so it would remain for the 15 minutes untill the final whistle.
Sharks scorers:
Tries: Bongi Mbonambi, Werner Kok, Sikhumbuzo Notshe
Conversions: Curwin Bosch [1], Boeta Chamberlain [1]
Penalties: Curwin Bosch [1],
Munster scorers:
Tries: Penalty try, Calvin Nash, Conor Murray.
Penalty: Jack Crowley.
Conversion: Ben Healy [2]
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly [Keith Earls, ‘65]; Jack Crowley [Ben Healy], Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman [Josh Wycherley ‘68], Diarmuid Barron [Scott Buckley, ‘70], Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Fineed Wycherley, Peter O’Mahoney (captain), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.,
SHARKS: Boeta Chamberlain; Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am, Ben Tapuai [Rohan Janse van Rensburg, ‘55], Makazole Mapimpi; Curwin Bosch [Aphelele Fassi, ‘34], Grant Williams; Ox Nche [Ntuthuko Mchunu, ‘72], Bongi Mbonambi [Kerron van Vuuren, ‘72], Thomas du Toit; Jeandre Launschagne, Gerbrandt Grobler; Siya Kolisi (captain) [Phepsi Buthelezi, ‘08], Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)