Fullback Siyaya stars as Sharks bag valuable away win at Munster | News24

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We are moments away from kick-off as the players make their way out onto the field. It's a powerful Sharks side, laden with Springbok stars and exciting youngsters... We have just heard that Matt Romao is a late withdrawal - he has been replaced in the starting XV my Mavesere. Ethan Hooker meanwhile is starting at 12 in his 50th game.

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We are just 15 minutes away from kick off. These teams have played each other seven times previously. Last time out the Sharks won convincingly 45-0; but that game was in Durban and this is in Limerick. The teams have drawn twice previously while the Sharks have won three and Munster two.

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Sharks: 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Jaco Williams, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Nick Hatton (c), 7 Manu Tshituka, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Ethan Bester, 1 Ox Nché.

Replacements: 16 Esethu Mnebelele, 17 Cameron Dawson, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Stephan Lewies, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Litelihle Bester

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Munster: 15 Ben O’Connor, 14 Shay McCarthy, 13 Gordon Wood, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Rob Russell, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Ben O’Donovan, 8 Brian Gleeson, 7 Jack O’Donoghue (captain), 6 Seán Edogbo, 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Ewan O’Connell, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Josh Wycherley.

Replacements: 16 Lee Barron, 17 Jeremy Loughman, 18 Michael Ala’alatoa, 19 Edwin Edogbo, 20 Gavin Coombes, 21 Jake O’Riordan, 22 Charlie O’Shea, 23 Alex Kendellen.

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Running the show today will be the following team:

Referee: Ben Connor (Wales, 9th league game)

Assistant Referees: Peter Martin (Ireland), Kevin Beakey (Ireland)

TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wales)

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the URC game between Munster and the Sharks being played at Thomond Park in Limerick.

1'

Referee Ben Connor gives his whistle a blast and we are underway as Hanrahan puts the ball into play.

2'

Sharks gather the start well and exit via a box kick which they manage to reclaim. It is raining in Limerick and we will have our first lineout as Hendrickse grubbers for touch.

3'

Siyaya has his first carry of the evening and after a few traded kick Hanrahan finds touch deep inside the Sharks 22m area.

4'

Jaden Hendrikse clears to touch from the base of the ruck after the Sharks won their lineout.

5'

Munster win a penalty as the Van Heerden is pinged for not rolling away after the tackle. Hanrahan pumps it into the corner for a lineout. Munster win the throw and maul, but it is well stopped by the Sharks. Munster do well to maintain possession through multiple phases but eventually a penalty is conceded - once again for not rolling away.

7'

Munster opt for the tap and go. A little gap opens up and Munster look to be through, but the pass is spilled and the Sharks escape.

8'

Hatton picks up the ball from the base of the scrum and drives forward. Jaden Hendrikse puts up the box kick which doesn't travel far - but the Sharks reclaim it and then Lombard kicks for space in the backfield. Siyaya claims the Munster return befoire another poor box kick from Jaden Hendrikse. There is a lot of kicking at the moment as both sides look to play the game in the right areas.

11'

Hendrikse win a penalty as he gets over the ball following a powerful counter-ruck from his forwards. Lombard kicks for the corner...

12'

Lineout is contested and it is crooked. So scrum awarded Munster. Bad error when on attack.

13'

Munster look to run out their 22m area off the back of a powerful scrum. They go blind side and are tackled into touch.

14'

Sharks win their lineout and maul. They are stopped just short but they have another few attempts. The referee says it is no try (Hanro Jacobs stopped short and double movement), but he wants the TMO to check. TMO agrees and it is a penalty to Munster for the double movement.

15'

TRY, SHARKS, LOMBARD. Munster 0-5 Sharks. Munster win the lineout and kick downfield. They find Siyaya who goes on a run. He is a superb talent this young man as he beats three players, kicks ahead and chases a seemingly lost cause. The ball bounces awkwardly for everyone, but not for Lombard, who arrives at the party, picks it up and dives over.

16'

Conversion is missed.

17'

Sharks win a penalty but Lombard misses touch and Munster run it back. Hanrahan has his kick charged before Hartzenberg kicks downfield only to see his effort roll out the back.

18'

A double knock on in midfield. First from Munster and then from the Sharks. We will have a scrum with Hendrikse to feed. It is almost on the centre spot.

20'

Sharks win an attacking scrum as O'Connor calls the mark and then advances to take it. He stutter steps and Hendrikse grabs him.

21'

Free kick awarded to Munster at the scrum with the referee ruling that the ball was put in under the hookers feet. O'Connor claims a high kick in superb fashion before Hanrahan finds a nice touch.

22'

Munster win a turnover after Manu Tshituka is held up in a tackle and the ball doesn't emerge.

23'

Powerful scrum from the Sharks sees Munster going backwards. The ball emerges and O’Donovan is under pressure. He makes the pass but it is behind his man who knocks it.

25'

Siyaya gets into space again and is racing towards the line. He kicks ahead, chases, outstrips everyone, only to see the ball bounce awkwardly and over the dead-ball-line.

26'

Munster do well to win a couple of contestables, but it is scrappy. The phase comes to an end with Hanrahan recognizing that things are going nowhere and he probes for touch. We will have a lineout about 10m short of the Sharks line.

28'

Sharks fail to hit their jumper and Munster are straight onto the attack. The referee is playing penalty advantage and while Munster make it over the line they are held up. Munster opt for a lineout.

30'

Munster win the lineout and maul. It goes sideways and is almost into touch. Somehow Jayden Hendrikse gets onto the ball and rescues the situation for the Sharks, the ball scrambled into touch.

31'

Sharks win a penalty for holding the ball on the ground and the Sharks set up a lineout.

32'

Mavesere make a surging run off the back of the lineout as he fights his way through a handful of tackles. He looks to offload and the ball is knocked forward as Gleeson tackles Nche.

33'

Gleeson wins a penalty as the Sharks hold onto the ball after a tackle. Gleeson in there quickly with the steal.

34'

Munster win the lineout but Hatton gets in there and steals the ball. As he breaks away and is tackles he is ruled to have held on and Munster get another penalty ...

35'

Munster win the lineout and maul. Then they look to move it, although they are keeping it tight and not going wide. Munster do well to keep possession through the phases but the Sharks are well organized. It ends with a little knock and the Sharks are delighted with their effort to keep Munster out.

37'

Hatton surges away from the base of the scrum. He gets the ball wide but the touch finder is poor and makes just a handful of metres.

38'

Sharks steal the lineout and kick deep. They don't find touch and as Munster bring it back they win a penalty. With plenty of possession and no points to show for it, Munster opt to take the kick at poles from directly in front.

39'

PENALTY, MUNSTER, HANRAHAN. Munster 3-5 Sharks. Simple three points from directly in front.

40'

HALF TIME: MUNSTER 3-5 SHARKS. Sharks manage to win the restart back. Hendrikse fires it back to Siyaya who chips and chases but it is well claimed by the Munster defence. Ball is hacked into touch and the referee blows for the break.

41'

We are back underway at Thomond Park where it continues to rain. Siyaya has an early run as he fields the Munster exit kick. Siyaya then loses the ball in a big tackle, but then Munster spill it forward with a marginal offload as they look to run it back.

43'

Hendrikse feeds the scrum and the Sharks win the scrum penalty as Nche gets the better of his man. Lombard kicks to touch.

45'

Sharks win the lineout and maul. Tshituka breaks away and drives his way upfield. The Sharks are on attack but somehow Gordon Wood gets between Lombard and his centre and intercepts. Munster run it back but they are forced into touch.

47'

Sharks win the lineout and maul. Hendrikse puts up the contestable which is well claimed under pressure by Munster. Only for them to knock it at the resulting ruck. A scrum to the sharks inside the Munster 22m area.

48'

Solid scrum from Munster means no front foot ball for the Sharks. Masevere surges forward but eth ball is ripped in the tackle. It goes forward though, which means another scrum for the Sharks.

49'

Nche's knee goes to ground and it is a penalty to Muster who kick to touch and clear their lines.

50'

Siyaya claims the high ball under huge pressure - that was excellent work. Munster spill the ball shortly afterwards as they field a grubber and look to run it back.

52'

Hooker makes a powerful carry off the scrum but the next phase sees a knock from Jenkins. It is very scrappy at the moment with neither side able to build momentum.

53'

This time Nche folds his man at the scrum to win a penalty. Sharks opt to kick for poles.

54'

PENALTY, SHARKS, LOMBARD. Munster 3-8 Sharks. From directly in front the three points are added.

57'

Vincent Tshituka is on and he fields the restart and runs back at Munster. Munster claim the exit kick and take it through the phases. Sharks defence is well organized. Hendrikse puts up a big kick but Munster claim it and then Nche is penalised for an off the ball tackle.

57'

The penalty is kicked for touch and following the TMO review we restart with the lineout. Munster have their tails up now but once again they are their own worst enemy as they spill it in a tackle. Referee plays advantage, which is called over as Hendrikse boots to touch.

58'

YELLOW CARD. OX NCHE. They want to have a look at the tackle from Nche. There appears to have been head contact and Nche has to leave the field.

59'

TRY, SHARKS, VAN ZYL. Munster 3-13 Sharks. Sensational from the Sharks. THey steal the lineout and Hatton marauds up the field. He is quick, but just not quick enough. Stopped short but Van Zyl is there to scoop it up and dive over in the corner.

59'

Jake O’Riordan forced from the field for a HIA.

60'

CONVERSION, SHARKS, LOMBARD. Munster 3-15 Sharks. Extra points banged over from the sideline.

61'

Nche's card will remain a yellow.

62'

Another penalty at the scrum awarded to the Sharks. And Nche is not even on the field!

62'

Sharks win a scrum in midfield as the tackled player is held up and cannot release the ball.

63'

Sharks win the lineout and maul. It goes to ground but not illegally. Sharks take it through the phases before putting up a big up and under. Munster do well to claim it under pressure on their try line. They clear to touch.

65'

Sharks take too long to get the ball into the lineout and a freekick is awarded to Munster. O'Shea puts up a high kick and Siyaya fields it. He kicks ahead but Munster come back at them. They win a penalty as well and the referee is not happy. He warns Hatton about the repeated infringements as Munster put it towards the corner.

66'

Sharks steal the lineout and Van Zyl clears for touch from the base of the scrum. Not a great kick and it only goes about 10m.

67'

Munster just about win the lineout. It is very messy. Sharks eventually win a penalty for a neck roll by Michael Ala’alatoa. Sharks clear for a lineout.

69'

Another knock at the ruck. This time it is Tshituka who coughs it up.

70'

Another huge scrum but eth ball is out just in time and Munster run. They make some ground but then go off their feet at eth breakdown and it is a penalty to the Sharks.

71'

Siyaya sets up a lineout for the Sharks with a nice touch-finder.

72'

The Sharkswin the lineout but it is scrappy. Vam Zyl puts up a poor box kick but his team mates save him by winning it back. Next contestable is too deep and Munster call the mark.

73'

Siyaya mark and has a run. A kick follows and then the Sharks knock it. Referee plays a good advantage as Munster slowly make their way back up the field before kicking ahead. Ball is eventually into touch after a very scrappy passage of play.

74'

Sharks win a penalty as Munster take out the lifter. There are far too many errors from both sides at the moment - although Munster are probably making more than the Sharks,

76'

Sharks miss their jumper and Munster come at them. Sharks pinged for a high tackle as Cameron Dawson goes around the neck of Russell.

77'

Van Zyl with a timely intercept for the Sharks. He is stopped short of the line and Munster look to run it out from almost behind their line. There are some lovely offloads before the inevitable knock. Sharks scrum on the 22m line.

78'

Sharks win a freekick at the scrum for an early engagement. Lomabard puts up the up and under which is dealt with by Munster who then try to run out of trouble, A big cross-field kick pass is caught but the tackle forces a knock.

80'

FULL TIME: Munster 3-15 Sharks. The scrum is unstable and is reset. Sharks win it and run but they lose it. Munster give it one last go but it comes to nothing as their kick ahead is fielded and punted into touch. Referee blows for full time and a very scrappy game comes to an end. Thanks for joining us.