Munster 19 – 17 Sale Sharks, Friday August 14, Musgrave Park, Cork
NEW season, new kit and a whole new look too. That’s fair to say when over 6,000 punters rolled in on a balmy Friday evening to Musgrave Park as they watched some fresh faced Munster men line out against a serious looking Sale selection that made the trip over from their UK fortress last week.
Blending youth and experience was the order of the day and the Sharks were not there to make up the numbers despite the look of the Munster side with their prime boys taking up their positions in the stand.
The visitors began with a flurry and made their mark on the game with some thumping early hits. Friendly – everything but, this was definitely a pre season warm up that had a little bite in it.
But more importantly, these new players got their baptism into a top flight rugby as an impressive 20-year-old Scott Deasy looked at ease in the full back role for Munster.
A familiar looking Paul Warwick operated a holding type playmaker role in his centre partnership with Tom Gleeson that faced England Saxons International Chris Bell and Welsh u21 Lee Thomas.
Munster’s flyhalf, Jeremy Manning, was in ace form as he slotted 14 points from the boot but not before moments of brilliant rugby from Danny Riordan operating on the wing, who in the opening minutes of the game, missed out on a try having been forced into touch just short of the line. It was a release from Scott Deasy that set up the opening move of the game, one that caught he attention of the crowd and realised that there was a real game on.
However it was the visitors that marked the scorecard first as Chris Bell was released from a slip pass to cross the try line and allow Charlie Hodgson slot the conversion and take Sharks into a 0-7 lead after 12 minutes.
Munster returned to the Sharks half with Deasy again making inroads and breaking through the defence to allow Morland take on the final yards of the attack and the pass to Billy Holland who released lock Ian Nagle cross for Munster despite the attention of Charlie Hodgson.
Manning added the conversion as well as two penalties and a superb third on the stroke of half time as Munster took to the dressing rooms with a 16-7 lead in their pockets.
The second half may saw the same tempo maintained with the intensity of hits and breaks taking their toll on both sides.
Benches were emptied and Sharks full back, Nick Macleod, opened the scoring again with a converted try. Hodgson added a drop goal on 63 minutes but their lead was short lived as Manning, in excellent form, again deadly from the place kick slotted his fourth penalty of the night and allow a youthful Munster side run out victorious in front of their fans, peers and, no doubt, the interested look from Jean de Villiers watching on from the stand.
Dave Ryan and Damien Varley showed that they were in fine form while Eoghan Grace coming off the bench was just as impressive.
While the international team gather this week in Limerick for the second of their pre season training camps, Munster take on London Irish this Friday night (7pm) again in Musgrave Park and will most likely feature a similar looking youthful line up in what is expected to be another lively contest.
On the passing of Fermoy’s Stuart Mangan last week, both teams lined up and paused for a minute in silence to remember the young player who suffered spinal injuries while playing rugby in London.                        Â
Picture by Billy Stickland – Inpho
