URC quarter-final: Sharks 24 Munster 24 AET (Sharks win on kicks)
Durban delivered one of the most dramatic encounters in recent United Rugby Championship history.
And, the drama was not confined to the actual rugby action.
The quarter-final clash between the Sharks and Munster was a brutal struggle from start to finish, with the sides level-pegged on 24-24 after 20 minutes of extra time and eventually had to be decided by a placekicking shoot-out, Munster ultimately losing out.
It was towards the end of the shoot-out that events threatened to spiral out of control.
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After having converted his second attempt at goal, the Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse dropped to the deck apparently struck by cramp. Medical personnel treated Hendrikse mere meters from where Munster outhalf Jack Crowley was supposed to have his second shot at goal. TV footage later showed Hendrikse, lying on the ground receiving treatment, wink at Crowley. Referee Mike Adamson had already had words with Hendrikse for sledging Crowley ahead of his first kick.
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Crowley again nailed the kick, before a heated exchange ensued between him and a member of the Sharks management staff André Barnard. An understandably frustrated Crowley asked for Hendrikse to be carried from the pitch, leading to the altercation with Barnard on the pitch, which ended with the Munster 10 telling him to “f*** off”.
But, back to the game and all the drama that led to Munster dropping out of the URC race in the cruellest of manners.
“I am absolutely devastated for the team, after all that the players had invested in this campaign,” said Munster’s interim head coach Ian Costello.
“I’m unbelievably proud of the boys, how they stood up against such a good side and that is all the more reason to feel devastated that it had to finish like that.”
The Springbok-laden Sharks pack forced an early scrum penalty after Munster had done a lot of attacking during the opening minutes. However, just shy of 10 minutes Calvin Nash finished off in style in the far corner after a scintillating counterattack of almost 50 metres by his partner on the left wing, Diarmuid Kilgallen, who managed to beat four defenders along the way.
Both defences were rock solid, suggesting this might not be a high-scoring affair. It was trench warfare upfront, with Munster front-rowers Stephen Archer and Niall Scannell putting their bodies on the line.
The Sharks started opening up on the attack in the final 10 minutes of the half, with Bok veteran Makazole Mapimpi regularly breaking tackles and making ground. But the Munster defensive screen remained intact, affording the visitors a 7-0 advantage at the break.
“We knew what we were faced with,” Sharks coach John Plumtree acknowledged.
“Munster has an incredibly proud group of players and is a very good rugby team. We knew it would be tight; they just chucked everything at us and can indeed be proud of themselves.
“It was a very tough battle, and for it to go down to the wire like that ... I’ve never been involved in a contest like that. It was pretty dramatic.
“We didn’t play particularly well for the first 20 or 30 minutes but then managed to get on top. Midway through the second half we again had a couple of poor moments when they got to 21-10, but, again, we just fought our way back into the game.
“It was a pity that there had to be a winner.”
The second spell started in much the same vein as the first, with the battle upfront raging on.
Six minutes into the half, Sharks flanker Vincent Tshituka offloaded to winger Ethan Hooker, who beat the cover defence from 30 metres out with a lethal combination of pace and footwork to level proceedings after Hendrikse’s conversion.
The kicker then put the home side ahead in the 54th minute with a penalty in front of the sticks.
The 10-7 lead was short-lived though, as Munster struck back through replacement prop Josh Wycherley. On the hour, Kilgallen was also rewarded with a try after a fortunate bounce of the ball, Crowley’s conversion pushing them 21-10 ahead.
After a period of sustained pressure, Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi raced across for their second try to Hendrikse’s conversion reduced the deficit to four.
More relentless pressure led to a third, by replacement hooker Fez Mbatha, with Hendrikse once again adding the extras to put the Durbanites 24-21 to the good.
A heart-stopping final five minutes followed, with Munster throwing the kitchen sink at the Sharks and forcing a penalty just inside the opposition half. Connor Murray nailed the 45-metre kick to level it 24-24 at full-time.
No additional points were registered during two 10-minute spells of extra-time, sending the game to a placekicking shoot-out.
A missed kick by Rory Scannell was the difference, despite nailing his second attempt, the semi-final spot going to the Sharks after six inch-perfect kicks.
Afterwards, Costello paid tribute to Munster’s departing trio, Murray, Archer and Peter O’Mahony.
“They are absolute legends of the club and have been incredible throughout their respective careers.
“They have given their everything for Munster, and will be sorely missed.”
SCORING SEQUENCE – 9 mins: Nash try, Crowley con 0-7; Half-time 0-7; 45: Hooker try, Jaden Hendrikse con 7-7; 54: Jaden Hendrikse pen 10-7; 56: Wycherley try, Crowley con 10-14; 60: Kilgallen try, Crowley con 10-21; 67: Fassi try, Jaden Hendrikse 17-21; 73: Mbatha try, Jaden Hendrikse con 24-21; 76: Murray pen 24-24.
SHARKS: A Fassi; E Hooker, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse; O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch; E Etzebeth, J Jenkins; J Venter, V Tshituka, S Kolisi.
Replacements: E van Heerden for Jenkins (12 mins); P Buthelezi for Kolisi (55); N Mchunu for Nche, F Mbatha for Mbonambi, H Jacobs for Koch (all 57); F Venter for Am (75); Davids for Mapimpi (99).
MUNSTER: T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, D Kilgallen; J Crowley, C Casey; M Milne, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: M Haley for Abrahams (51 mins); T Ahern for O’Mahony, D Barron for N Scannell (both 55); J Wycherley for Milne (55-66); A Kendellen for Hodnett, C Murray for Casey (both 65); J Ryan for Archer (68); R Scanell for Nankivell (76).
Referee: M Adamson (Sco).
