New tournament, same old Munster! Ian Keatley completed another famous European comeback for the province as his injury-time drop goal floored Sale Sharks in Salford.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: SALE SHARKS 26 MUNSTER 27
23-7 behind at the break, Munster somehow clawed their way back with converted tries from Andrew Conway and Conor Murray to set up a nail-biting climax in front of the AJ Bell Stadium’s record crowd.
Danny Cipriani’s fourth successful penalty seemed to steady Sale at 26-21, but it was his opposite number Ian Keatley who emerged as the match winner late on.
The Munster out-half responded with a 72nd minute penalty before coolly slotting the decisive drop goal from deep, bringing back memories of his predecessor Ronan O’Gara’s late heroics against Northampton three years ago.
However, the second half revival papered over what was a very poor opening 40 minutes from Anthony Foley’s men. Seven-pointers from Magnus Lund and Jonny Leota saw dominant, wind-backed Sale deservedly lead by 16 points at half-time.
Apart from David Kilcoyne’s tenth-minute score, Munster were outmuscled and outthought as they allowed Sale to dictate possession with Cipriani catching the eye behind a workmanlike pack.
With the elements behind them, Munster launched their comeback bid with a crucial 56th minute try from Conway, while tireless man-of-the-match CJ Stander stood out amid a relentless spell of carrying either side of the hour mark.
The defensive workload was too much for the Sharks as Murray dived over in the right corner and despite Sale’s best efforts, this gutsy Munster side won out in a tense climax.
The two-time Heineken Cup champions were desperate to avoid a first-up defeat in the inaugural European Champions Cup, having lost their round 1 games against Racing Metro 92 and Edinburgh in recent seasons.
Foley’s charges found a way to turn the tables on Sale but they have plenty to work on before they host Saracens, last year’s runners-up, at Thomond Park next Friday night.
Two clearance kicks from Murray got Munster out of early trouble in today’s Pool 1 opener, facing into the wind. But Sale signalled their threat with a Leota midfield break from a Cipriani pass.
Cipriani opened the scoring with a seventh minute penalty, awarded against Stephen Archer at a central scrum, before Munster released Simon Zebo down the left after a strong charge from Stander.
The Sale defence creaked as Munster’s pack bulldozed through from a close-in lineout, setting up the platform for prop Kilcoyne (pictured below) to plunge over just to the right of the posts. Keatley converted for a 7-3 lead.
Another storming run from Stander saw Munster roar forward from the restart, although Leota worryingly found space again for Sale – this time wide on the left – and his efforts led to Cipriani’s second penalty.
Sale lock Michael Paterson inadvertently injured referee Mathieu Raynal as they collided on the way back to halfway following Cipriani’s kick, with the French official unable to continue and Laurent Cardona replacing him.
A second scrum penalty, awarded just inside the Sale half, allowed the influential Cipriani to kick the Sharks back in front in the 19th minute.
The hosts’ tails were most definitely up as they embarked on a frantic period of attacking in the Munster 22, probing initially from a lineout near the left corner before strong carrying took them out to the right where flanker Lund squeezed over for a well-worked try.
Cipriani converted to push the lead out to 16-7 and as Munster continued to leak costly penalties and allow Sale get outside them in midfield, the English club profited with their second touchdown in the 29th minute. That man Leota powered over on the left from Tom Brady’s quick-fire pass.
Cipriani added the extras and it went for bad to worse for the men in red as a clumsy tackle without the ball saw Tommy O’Donnell sin-binned as Sale pressed for their third try.
Keatley got them out of jail with an acrobatic mark and Foley’s charges were relieved to hear the half-time whistle, having conceded an energy-sapping 20 points without reply.
Leota came close to scoring in the right corner as Munster started the second half on the back foot. They survived and a knock-on by the returning O’Donnell spoilt a promising move sparked by centres Denis Hurley and Andrew Smith.
Replacement props James Cronin and BJ Botha came on to solidify the Munster scrum and better field position allowed the visitors some precious attacking ball, with Zebo working Stander into space on the left.
Keatley pumped a scrum penalty towards the right corner and despite Sale defending the lineout maul, Munster maintained their presence close to the home line with winger Conway (pictured below) stepping inside Sam Tuitupou’s tackle to stretch over to the right of the posts.
The conversion followed from Keatley for a 23-14 scoreline and suddenly it was all Munster, the red shirts pilling forward from a Peter O’Mahony lineout steal as the possession statistics swayed to 95% in their favour.
Murray sniped for the line but was held up by a combination of Brady and Sale captain David Seymour. Nonetheless, Paul O’Connell and Stander continued to bludgeon through at close quarters and Murray got the try he desired, making it over near the right corner flag after a punishing set of phases from his pack.
Keatley’s conversion attempt went over with the aid of the left hand post, making it a two-point game with 15 fascinating minutes remaining.
Munster’s momentum – aided by the superb travelling support – was finally broken up when Botha infringed at a maul and Cipriani took the three points on offer for a 26-21 scoreline.
Zebo had to hold the ball steady – in blustery conditions – for Keatley to reply just three minutes later, and the province then had to some admirable patience as Sale held them at arm’s length in their own half.
Eventually, the visitors had the possession and territory they craved as replacement JJ Hanrahan found a brilliant touch on the right and then Cipriani coughed up a lineout inside his ten-metre line.
Munster kept a stubborn hold of possession from a ground-gaining maul and Keatley turned down an initial drop goal attempt after a good rush from Chris Cusiter. Sale doggedly hung on until Munster worked a second opportunity for Keatley (pictured below) and his reliable right boot did the rest.
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