SALE were left battered, bruised and defeated on the murky battleground of the Heineken Cup after being given a lesson in modern warfare by the reigning European champions.

They looked like young scrappers pitted against Munster’s canny, grizzled warriors, suffering a 24-16 home defeat that severely dented hopes of reaching the competition’s knock-out stages.

All this after Sharks had fought back from a 16-6 deficit to level the scores midway through the second half, a comeback fuelled in no small measure by the brilliance of Charlie Hodgson.

Sharks playmaker-in-chief was omitted from the starting line-up, as scrum half Richard Wigglesworth took the number 10 jersey - it was a ploy that worked to perfection in a bright, open game at Clermont Auvergne but failed spectacularly amid the grimy battles at Edgeley Park.

When Hodgson finally did take to the field, replacing Dwayne Peel five minutes into the second half, he led Sale to the verge of triumph.

Ultimately though, his efforts were in vain, the sense of hope that had preceeded the game giving way to disappointment and nagging regret. Now it appears victory in Munster’s Thomond Park lionpit will be the only way Sale can escape the Heineken Cup group stages.

Despite a promising start, it quickly started to look ominous for Sharks.

McAlister kicked a fourth minute penalty after missing an earlier attempt but, as the tide turned, O'Gara responded with a penalty of his own to level the scores.

That was all the encouragement the Irishmen needed.

Transformed from the team that had struggled to a 19-17 win over Montauban in their Heineken Cup opener last week, they looked every bit the European champions.

Their forwards got down and dirty to dominate the hotly-contested breakdown area and half backs O'Gara and Tomas O'Leary provided the creative spark that ignited the powerful runners throughout the Munster line-up.

The likes of Lifeimi Mafi, Alan Quinlan and David Wallace pounded away at the Sale defence until fault lines became gaping holes.

Munster's first try, on 21 minutes, therefore came as no surprise.

From quick ruck ball on the right flank, they seamlessly switched play to the opposite wing and with Sharks stretched, Paul Warrick took the pass from Quinlan to score.

Ronan O'Gara added the extras and just four minutes later the task at hand became even more daunting when Warwick was given the time and space to strike a superb 40-metre drop goal.

McAlister attempted to lead a Sale revival before half-time, kicking a penalty and making a dazzling break that momentarily threatened to provide a crucial try. But it took the introduction of Hodgson to really get them going.

The fly half introduced subtlety and variation to the hosts’ play, his kicking and distribution causing Munster to doubt themselves for the first time in the game.

Inevitably, he was heavily involved in Sharks’ try, providing the platform for replacement hooker Marc Jones to crash through the cover and offload to Dean Schofield, who juggled before touching down. McAlister’s conversion made it 16-16.

But even in that position - and in the ascendancy - they lacked the confidence and conviction to go on and win, something Munster had in spades.

Even after an O’Gara penalty was controversially ruled out when it bounced off the top of the post, they retained composure and Wallace scored the vital try nine minutes from time after taking Mafi’s glorious flat pass in the right corner.

Mafi was sin-binned soon after for his persistent infringments but the visitors barely broke stride.

A powerful driving maul drove them into Sale territory in the fourth minute of injury time and O’Gara dropped back into the pocket to kick a stunning long-range drop goal.

After that, they simply shut up shop, denying both Wigglesworth and Mathew Tait inches from the line as time ran out.


Sale: Lamont; Cueto, McAlister, Keil, Doherty; Wigglesworth, Peel (Hodgson 45); Faure, Briggs (M Jones 45), Roberts (Turner 69); Chabal (White 57), Cockbain (Schofield 54); C Jones (M Tait 74), Abraham, Fernandez Lobbe.

Not used: Bell.

Try: Schofield 61.

Con: McAlister 61.

Pens: McAlister 4, 32, 57.


Munster: Warwick; Howlett, Earls, Mafi, Dowling; O'Gara, O'Leary; Horan, Flannery, Hayes; O'Callaghan, O'Connell; Quinlan (Ryan 68), O'Sullivan (Melck 54 (Murphy 73)), Wallace.

Not used: Fogarty, Pucciariello, Stringer, Hurley.

Tries: Warrick 21, Wallace 71.

Con: O'Gara 21.

Pens: O'Gara 15, 42.

Drop goals: Warrick 25, O'Gara 80+4.

Sin bin: Mafi 79.


Referee: Christophe Berdos

Attendance: 10,928