Saint-Andre pays price for arrogance

SAINT-ANDRE already eyeing quarter-final berth!

A local Manchester paper ran a headline to this effect on Saturday and attributed the words to Sale’s director of rugby, Philippe Saint-Andre.

Arrogance or realism? Maybe neither, for to be fair, this was a cracking match between two fine sides and the 10,872 people at yesterday’s game who saw Munster prevail by 24-16 will certainly want to see the return at Thomond Park in January.

For excitement and commitment, there has been little to match it and the Heineken Cup only grows ever more in stature with games like this.

The first shock of the day came when Munster took the field in an all white kit and Sale changed from blue to black. As always with these games, the pace was whirlwind from the kick-off, with the Sharks capitalising on early supremacy by forcing two kicks at goal, the second of which Luke McAlister converted. Then it was Munster’s turn to attack and Ronan O’Gara levelled the scoring on 13 minutes.

Maintaining the momentum, they fashioned a series of thrilling attacks which had the Sale defence very much on the back foot. But they had no answer in the 20th minute when Keith Earls and Paul O’Connell made the initial incisions before a quick recycle enabled Tomás O’Leary, O’Gara and Alan Quinlan to open up the defence for Paul Warwick, on an immaculate line of running, to steam over for a magnificent try.

O’Gara converted from far out on the left and within minutes, Munster were back on the rampage as Earls broke out of his own 22 and punched a perfect kick that brought play to the Sale line. Out-half Richard Wigglesworth failed to find touch with his attempted clearance, Warwick fielded around the 10 metre line and sent over a glorious drop-kick.

There was very nearly an exact replica a few moments later but this time Warwick’s kick sailed inches wide of the right-hand upright. McAlister narrowed the gap to 13-6 with his second penalty but Munster remained the dominant force.

O’Leary made a searing break from the back of a line-out but was just unable to get his scoring pass away, then a golden chance went a-begging when they were penalised at a scrum right under the Sale posts.

As with so many of his colleagues in recent weeks, French referee Christophe Berdos found fault with Munster’s work on the ground and pinged them time and again in attacking situations. Unlike the Montauban game, however, they remained patient, built the phases and tackled like demons when Sale put in the counter attacks and it was a crushing hit by Lifeimi Mafi on Sebastian Chabal that brought the half to an end in memorable fashion.

Munster were worth more than a seven point lead and so were glad of the offer of a handy offside penalty landed by O’Gara within a minute of the restart. Saint-Andre immediately brought Charlie Hodgson in, out-half with Wigglesworth moving to scrum-half to the exclusion of Dwayne Peel of Wales and Lions fame.

The change had the desired result but the penalty landed by McAlister for an allegedly dangerous tackle by Mafi on substitute Marc Jones looked distinctly harsh.

The situation got worse for Munster when Jones broke two tackles and sent another replacement, Dean Schofield, over between the posts. McAlister converted and the sides were level.

From the kick-off, O’Gara had a great chance to restore Munster’s lead but he pulled his kick left of the posts. The Munster gloom didn’t last long, however, as after another onslaught in the Sale 22, they moved the ball right where the outstanding O’Leary and Mafi got the ball to the side’s most dangerous ball carrier David Wallace, and he was never going to be stopped.

O’Gara missed the conversion but the drama was far from over. Mafi finally saw yellow but McAlister missed the penalty. And when O’Gara saw a chance, he took it, hooking a marvellous drop-kick between the posts to put eight between the sides.

Sale launched a massive assault in the right corner but the defence held firm and O’Gara could afford to miss a shot at goal and still send the Red Army home absolutely ecstatic, as Sale missed out on a bonus point.

SALE SHARKS: R Lamont, M Cueto, L McAlister, R Keil, D Doherty, R Wigglesworth, D Peel, L Faure, N Briggs, E Roberts, S Chabal, B Cockbain, C Jones, L Abraham, J Fernandez Lobbe [capt].

Replacements: M. Jones for Briggs 44; C. Hodgson for Peel 44; D. Schofield for Cockbain 50; J. White for Chabal 55. S. Turner for Roberts 65; M. Tait for Jones 67.

MUNSTER: P Warwick, D Howlett, K Earls, L Mafi, I Dowling, R O’Gara, T O’Leary, M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell [capt], A Quinlan, J O’Sullivan, D Wallace. Replacements: J. Melck for O’Sullivan 52; D. Ryan for Quinlan 67; B. Murphy for Melck 74.

Referee: Christophe Berdos (France).