Sharks and Munster entertained in their Champions Cup last 16 clash which saw 12 tries split between the two sides.
Knockout rugby isn’t synonymous with sweeping attacks and end-to-end tries but the Sharks and Munster entertained in their Champions Cup last 16 clash.
The Sharks ran in seven tries to put 50 on the board but the contest was closer than the scoreline suggested.
SHARKS BLOW MUNSTER AWAY
The opening to the game was tightly contested as the Sharks accepted three points early on but Munster responded with a great try.
Munster kept finding space out wide but the Sharks snapped right onto any errors.
The Sharks held a slender lead after a ding-dong battle in the first half going into the sheds 17-14 ahead.
Jaden Hendrikse was lost to injury early on as he scored but fell on the ball and the Sharks were struck another blow when Eben Etzebeth was withdrawn through injury.
Surprisingly an injury to substitute lock Emile van Heerden galvanised the Sharks lineout around Gerbrandt Grobler and this dominance set up the two tries scored from rolling mauls.
The Sharks made the most of forced passes and rushed play to score tries galore in the second half but the grunt work up front from the likes of Ox Nche laid the platform for this win.
MATCH INFO
The scorers:
For Sharks:
Tries: Hendrikse, Etzebeth, Mbonambi 2, Kok, Bosch, Mapimpi
Cons: Bosch 6
Pen: Bosch
For Munster:
Tries: Daly, Kilcoyne, Barron, Haley, F Wycherley
Cons: Crowley 5
Teams:
Sharks: 15 Henry Chamberlain, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché.
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Carlü Sadie, 19 19 Emile van Heerden, 20 Phendulani Buthelezi, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Ben Tapuai, 23 Thaakir Abrahams.
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Antoine Frisch, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Peter O’Mahony (captain), 5 Rudolph Snyman, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Roman Salanoa, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Dave Kilcoyne.
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Jack O’Donoghue, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Alex Kendellen
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Tom Foley (England), Adam Leal (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
