RUGBY: Last Gasp Drama Robs Sharks Of Famous Win

SALE SHARKS                       26 - 27           MUNSTER RUGBY

Sale Sharks suffered a heartbreaking loss to their opening group game of the new European Rugby Cup competition, as a last gasp drop goal by Munster`s Ian Keatley, saw the Irish club take victory in what was a thrilling game of rugby at the AJ Bell stadium with the visitors taking the win 27-26.

Depending on which side of the fence you sit on, you could arguably make a couple of cases for the loss for the Sharks. Either they let the game slip away from their grasp or it was the opponent experience of these games that let two-time winners of this competition in its former format, finding their way to victory. The game also saw the biggest crowd for a Sale Sharks game since they moved to the AJ Bell Stadium last season from Edgeley Park, but also saw a lot of travelling red shirted Munster fans, as they made the trip over from Ireland for this big clash. It saw the hosts make their traditional good start to the match, when they were awarded an early penalty for foul play by the visitors and saw the Sharks attack from the kick off. 

The Sharks then found a gap in the Munster backline when a pass by Danny Cipriani found Johnny Leota and the Samoan broke free, but then tried to offload to the wrong player up in support with him, and saw a knock on by Sale to see an opportunity goes begging.

Munster was then penalised at the scrum and had Cipriani slot over with a kick to give the Sharks a 3-0 lead after 5 minutes into the contest. Munster tried to strike back straight away and had Irish International Simon Zebo using his pace to cause the Sale defence problems and saw him help his side move up field.

This then led to the visitors getting points on the board, as their strength and power in their pack saw them driving a maul towards the Sale try line, and from there Dave Kilcoyne forced his way over for Munster to take the lead with Ian Keatley converting the extras. Sale then cut the lead to just one point, when Cipriani kicked over a penalty for a 7-6 lead to their opponents after quarter of an hour gone in the match.

Referee Mathieu Raynal then picked up a freak injury, when Michael Paterson accidently clipped the back of the officials leg as he was retreating for the restart and saw Raynal in lot of discomfort. Raynal was coming back from a horrific injury he sustained last during a French league match, in which he broke both his legs in a sickening incident, he was then replaced by fellow Frenchman Laurent Cardona as Raynal was helped off the pitch to signal the end of his game

Sale then went back in front with another penalty by Cipriani, with the English fly half moving the Sharks 9-7 in front and reminding the England selectors about a possible recall with his kicking game. In the 23rd minute, the Sharks moved ahead by 9 points as the home side was forcing Munster back to their own goal line and then saw Magnus Lund who was the only surviving member of the last time these teams met, quickly pick up and plant the ball over the line for a try to see them 14-7 up with Cipriani kicking superbly.

It got better for the home side soon after, with the Sharks side dominating Munster in the entire first half and led them to score another try, with Johnny Leota dummying his way through the opposition and going over to see the score move onto 23-7 with another kick converted by Cipriani, to see the Sharks in a commanding position in the game. 

Sale came close to scoring a third try, but a challenge by Tommy O`Donnell on Chris Cusiter during a good move by Sale, saw him take the Scottish forward without the ball and so saw the Munster man sin binned and had his hold out from the following attack by the Sharks, to go into the break with a lot of thinking to do.

With Sale in total control of the game, Munster went into the break going having to go back to the drawing board, with the Sharks playing a good fast paced game that Munster unable to deal with.

Munster looked like a completely different side after the break and the Pro 12 side enjoyed the majority of possession they had as they looked to try and work their way back into the contest. The Red Army should have made more of a fantastic passing move that had the Sale defence caught napping and saw Andrew Conway dropping the ball at the worst time to let the Sharks off the hook. However it wasn`t to be for much longer, as Conway made up for his error a few minutes later with the right-winger managing to go over in the corner for try and see the lead cut back to 9 point deficit.

The crowd was really up for this, as both sides were willing their respective sides on for the final 20 minutes of the game. Conor Murray then scored Munster`s third try of the game, with the visitors completely changing the face of the game and saw Sale having no or limited ball possession in the half, with the Munster forwards forcing the game and seeing Sale rocked.

Cipriani then kicked over a penalty and was must needed for the hosts, as they were getting pulverised by the Munster side in the second half and was just happy to take points that was on offer, as they tried to keep the scoreboard ticking over with 12 minutes remaining in this tight contest.

Ian Keatley then responded straight away for the visitors, as he converted a penalty for the Irish side and saw the game move into the final 10 minutes of an enthralling contest that saw the game separated by just two points and the game possibly going either way. Sale then had a rare attack in the second half and that saw Munster turnover a ball outside their own 22 and a great kick by JJ Hanrahan had him find touch deep inside the Sharks half.  It saw the Sharks finding a gap as they looked to play their way out of trouble, but some indecision by Cipriani saw the home side having to be at their best for one final defensive effort, as they looked to thwart the likelihood of a drop goal chance by the visitors late on.

Munster led one final assault on the Sharks goals and with time over, it saw Keatley shaping up to kick but had to change plans, with Cusiter charging fast at him inside the Sale 22. Munster then moved the ball back inside the Sale 22 and then with the ball sent backwards to Keatley, he made no mistake under pressure and this time watched it sail through the posts for a drop goal and send the travelling Red Army fans jubilant and the Sale players and fans distraught.

It has to be said though, Munster was the clear favourites heading into the game and yet the Sharks gave them a hell of a game and have no reason to be down, as they battered the Munster side for 40 minutes of the game and not many sides will be able to say they did that to the Limerick based side, in either this competition or Pro 12 this season. 

Munster though shown why yet again, they are so tough to beat and can never write them off as they have the quality and belief to come back, despite the big lead that the Sharks had opened at the break.

 For Steve Diamond and men a trip over the channel awaits and where they face Clermont Auvergne next week in another tough group game. 

However the last time Sale played Clermont in Europe, they beat them on their own patch 32-15 back in 2008 and so they`ll be hoping lightning strikes twice.  

 

POOL A:

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	F-A	TF	MP	BP	Pts
1	Saracens	1	1	0	0	30	23	+7	4	5	1	5
2	Munster	1	1	0	0	27	26	+1	3	4	0	4
3	Sale Sharks	1	0	0	1	26	27	-1	2	1	1	1
4	Clermont Auvergne	1	0	0	1	23	30	-7	2	1	1	1