Carbery shows his worth

Munster ……… 34 Sharks …………. 21

By KEVIN FALLON

Joey Carbery, who lost both his Munster and Ireland places last season, led from the front as the URC champions got their campaign up and running with a bonus point win at Thomond Park.

It took them time to get on top but Carbery pointed the way for the holders with a welcome return to form in a tough encounter.

“I think it was really good that we just stuck in there,” said Carbery. “There were a few really tough patches for us, we knew what they were going to bring and they were very clinical, but over the last couple o we fought back well and controlled it quite well.”

Munster led 21-7 at the break with promising lock Edwin Edogbo getting his first try, while Carbery did the groundwork for hooker Diarmuid Barron to score.

Out-half Curwin Bosch set up Werner Kok for a Sharks try but Antoine Frisch was rewarded for chasing his own chip for Munster to lead by 14 at the break.

Carbery pushed the lead out with a penalty four minutes after the restart before Rohan Janse van Rensburg got over after Cameron Wright executed a 50:22 after blocking Carbery’s kick and then raced forward to take a quick throw and while Potgieter was initially stopped, the replacement centre was on hand to score. Munster hit back and Andrew Conway, playing his first game in 16 months after injury, secured the bonus point with his 50th try on his 150th appearance for Munster.

Ethan Coughlan, making his first start, had to come back on when debutant Shay McCarthy was injured and he made it count when he scored Munster’s fifth try after being set up by Frisch.

Sharks had the final say when Aphelele Fassi got in under the posts but the Durban side left Limerick empty-handed as the champions started in style with five points in the bag.

TEAMS

MUNSTER: Daly 8; Conway 7, Frisch 7, Scannell 6 (Nankivell 62, 6), McCarthy 7 (Gibbons 68, 6, Coughlan 77, 7); Carbery 9, Coughlan (Cronin 70, 6); J Wycherley 6 (K Ryan 71, 6), Barron 7 (Buckley 68, 7), Archer 7 (J Ryan 62, 7); Edogbo 7 (Ahern 55, 7), F Wycherley 6; O’Donoghue (c) 7, Kendellen 7, Coombes 6 (Gleeson 70, 6)

SHARKS: Chamberlain 6 (Fassi 62, 7); Kok 7, Koster 7 (Janse van Rensburg 40, 7), F Venter (c) 6, Potgieter 6; Bosch 7, Wright 7 (Mkhabela 74, 5); Mchunu 6 (Bleuler 70, 5), van Vuuren 6 (Jooste 70, 5), Oosthuizen 6 (Jacobs 55, 6); van Heerden 6, Hugo 6; J Venter 6, Buthelezi 6, Cronje 7 (Notshe 62)

REFEREE: J Gnecchi (It) ATTENDANCE: 14,394

Star man Joey Carbery-Munster