Durfban - Of all the pre-game permutations for this game, a 22-22 draw was not one of them but it is Munster who would have trooped off the Kings Park pitch the happier while for the Sharks this was a disaster.
Aso, Springbok supporters will be holding their breath as the severity of the knee injury to Siya Kolisi is ascertained.
A month ago, Munster had copped 50 points on this same ground and early in the second half, the Sharks were 19-3 up only to let the Irishmen off the hook.
It was painful to watch for Sharks supporters as their team’s ambition to play in the Champions Cup next year unravelled before their eyes.
You could say a draw as a fair result given that the Sharks dominated the first 40 and the second half belonged to the men in red.
What Sharks director Neil Powell will want to know is why this was allowed to happen when so much was at stake.
The Sharks had rocketed out of the blocks and playing Munster possession rugby they almost scored but in the process, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi came crashing down with a knee injury.
He limped off and a minute later his Bok teammate, Bongo Mbonambi steamrolled over off the back of maul for the opening score.
Munster rallied and a well-structured attack produced a penalty for Jack Crowley to kick home.
As anticipated the breakdown was ferociously contested. It was in this department that the Sharks dominated Munster in that Champions Cup game but clearly, Munster knew what to remedy for this visit.
What the visitors would not have planned was to go a man down – left wing Shane Daly was yellow carded for colliding in the air with Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch
He was barely off the field when his opposite number, Werner Kok, scored.
The Sharks were rocked shortly after when Bosch went off in some discomfort to be replaced by a Bok returning from injury, Aphelele Fassi, with fullback Boeta Chamberlain moving to 10.
As halftime approached, there was a significant moment in the game when the Sharks’ scrum demolished their opponents. The kick went to the corner and No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe cruised over from the maul, and 19-3 would be the half-time score.
Three minutes into the second half, Chamberlain nailed a 46m penalty for a 19-point lead and it seemed to be game over. But the Sharks took the foot off the pedal while the visitors gunned the accelerator.
When Fassi was binned for obstructive running, Munster were also awarded a penalty try to put them firmly back in the game.
Strangely, Munster skipper Peter O’Mahoney lost his cool and escalated what had been a harmless scuffle and was yellowed carded for his indiscretion.
With the Munster scrum a man down, the Sharks had no bother winning a scum penalty only for Chamberlain to kick the ball dead and let Munster off.
Munster then cleverly chipped over the Sharks' defence and wing Calvin Nash gathered to score in the corner.
Bongi Mbonambi powers through the Munster defence for his fourth try of the season 💪
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) April 22, 2023
The Cell C Sharks lead in Durban 🦈
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Munster were on fire after having been subdued in the first half and their comeback continued when Conor Murray went over amongst a bunch of forwards from a maul.
Ben Healy’s conversion made it 22-22 and so it would remain for 15 minutes til the final whistle.
Point Scorers
Sharks - Tries: Bongi Mbonambi, Werner Kok, Sikhumbuzo Notshe. Conversions: Curwin Bosch, Boeta Chamberlain. Penalty: Curwin Bosch.
Munster - Tries: Penalty try, Calvin Nash, Conor Murray. Conversion: Ben Healy. Penalty: Jack Crowley.
IOL Sport