'We didn’t execute well enough' - skipper Beirne perplexed by slow Munster start

Sean O’Brien of Munster in action against  Hollywoodbets Sharks. Pic: ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart

Munster’s season is at a crossroads barely a third of the way through the campaign after they were thumped 41-24 by the Sharks in Durban.

It was Munster’s fourth defeat after six rounds of the 2024/2025 United Rugby Championship and it will require some extensive improvement to get back into the competition from here.

It was the first time the Sharks have beaten Munster to add another unwanted ‘first’ to Munster’s short South African tour after they lost to the Stormers for the first time a week earlier.

The gulf between the sides was as wide as the score suggests as the home side ran rampant on their way to scoring five tries.

Munster trailed 31-10 at the break and it was realistically a damage limitation exercise from there.

Munster scored four tries of their own – the last two coming against the run of play in the final 10 minutes when the Sharks tried to run everything with the result safely secured.

Wing Calvin Nash finished a move started with an intercept inside their own 22 for Munster’s third try and captain Tadgh Beirne barged over after the hooter for a bonus point try.

Earlier tries from flank Tom Ahern and impressive fullback Mike Haley meant a try-scoring bonus point to at least salvage something from the game for Munster.

“Our halftime talk was to get four tries and at least we got that there,” Beirne said after the match. “But the Sharks came out firing and we didn’t execute well enough.” 

But there was no glossing over that fact that Munster were, by some distance, second best on the day. Graham Rowntree has a big job ahead of him.

The tourists made the worst possible start, conceding the first try of the match 48 seconds after referee Hollie Davidson blew to start the game.

Strong carries from Bok prop Ox Nche and hooker Bongi Mbonambi allowed electric scrumhalf Grant Williams to slice a hole through the Munster defence. Elegant fullback Aphelele Fassi ran a lovely angle to scythe through the remaining defenders to open the scoring.

The Sharks’ second try, scored with barely five minutes gone, was another beauty.

From a Williams box kick, the colossal Eben Etzebeth won the ball back and it went through Siya Kolisi, Nche, centre Andre Esterhuizen before Mapimpi skinned Nash on the outside.

Although Munster shaded possession and territory, they faced belligerent blitz defence and struggled in the scrums as well. Only soft Sharks mistakes, such as missing two penalty touch finders and several loose passes, kept Munster in it.

The first scrum of the game resulted in a penalty for the home team, and they widened the lead to 17 points when Jordan Hendrikse landed the kick. In all the Bok flyhalf scored 16 points from five conversions and two penalties.

Williams got on the scoresheet in the 25th minute with another sparkling try after fine interplay between Fassi and Lukhanyo Am.

Esterhuizen secured the bonus point for the Sharks before halftime when he smashed his way over, running a short line after another dominant Sharks scrum.

Impressive Sharks flank Vincent Tshituka completed the home’s team’s scoring with a try in the 66th minute. From then on the Sharks cruised and paid the price as Munster claimed something from the scraps.