Munster make perfect start to season with five-try victory over Sharks at Thomond Park

Edwin Edogbo, Diarmuid Barron, Antoine Frisch, Andrew Conway & Ethan Coughlan scored the tries with Player of the Match Joey Carbery adding nine points off the tee.

Munster got their season off to the perfect start on Saturday evening, as the URC champions picked up a 34-21 win over Sharks at Thomond Park.

Six Academy players featured as Edwin Edogbo and Ethan Coughlan scored their first Munster tries. Shay McCarthy, Kieran Ryan and Brian Gleeson made their senior debuts with Fionn Gibbons also featuring off the bench.

Calvin Nash was a late withdrawal for McCarthy and Sharks enjoyed the better of a stop-start opening quarter.

Shane Daly, Diarmuid Barron and Joey Carbery all made try-saving tackles before Munster started moving through the gears and Edogbo stretched to score on 20 minutes on the province’s first serious foray into Sharks territory.

Carbery slotted the conversion and Munster were really motoring on 26 minutes when Carbery offloaded to Alex Kendellen, who fed Barron on his shoulder to race over for the second try. Carbery was again on target as Munster led 14-0.

Edogbo won a big turnover as Sharks threatened and the visitors were back in it when Werner Kok scored in the right corner after a Curwin Bosch break. Bosch converted from the touchline to make it 14-7.

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A vital Antoine Frisch try on the stroke of half-time gave Munster breathing room after good link-up play between Carbery and Conway as the centre chipped over the defence and managed to ground the bouncing ball ahead of the retreating defenders.

Carbery was on the spot to make it 21-7 at the break with Munster halfway home.

Munster had the upper hand at the start of the second half and Carbery slotted a penalty to increase the lead.

Sharks showed great heart to battle back and Cameron Wright did brilliantly to kick a 50:22 and then take the quick lineout with Rohan Janse van Rensburg eventually scoring. Bosch’s conversion made it 24-14 after 49 minutes.

Barron came up with a huge turnover five yards out after the Sharks spread the ball right and Kok nearly got in for his second try.

Cameron Wright was sin-binned for a high tackle on Shane Daly after 64 minutes to open the door for Munster to get the bonus-point try.

The pack looked to maul over twice before swinging it wide with Shay McCarthy stopped just short. The pressure finally told when Nankivell floated a pass for Andrew Conway to score his 50th Munster try on his 150th Munster appearance.

Coughlan put the icing on the cake with the bonus-point try late on showing great pace to score in the left corner off a Frisch pass.

Aphelele Fassi scored late on for Sharks but the home crowd went home happy after a good night’s work.