Sharks beat Munster 15-3 for first Thomond Park win

The Sharks beat Munster 15-3 at Thomond Park on October 31, earning their first victory at the Limerick venue and moving into fourth place in the United Rugby Championship table ahead of the November break. The South African side scored two tries, through flyhalf Gianni Lombard and replacement scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl. Lombard added a conversion and a penalty, while Munster’s only points came from a JJ Hanrahan penalty. The Sharks had led 5-3 at halftime. The match was played in wet conditions, with handling errors disrupting both teams’ attacks. Munster had opportunities inside the Sharks’ 22 but did not score a try. The Sharks’ defence repeatedly stopped the hosts, and the visitors gained control at the scrum as the match progressed. The Sharks opened the scoring in the 15th minute after fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya broke through and kicked ahead. Munster failed to deal with the ball, allowing Lombard to gather it and score. Hanrahan’s penalty before halftime gave Munster their only points. Lombard extended the lead with a penalty in the 53rd minute. The Sharks then lost prop Ox Nché to a yellow card for a shoulder-to-head clearout on Munster replacement Jeremy Loughman. Despite...