HISTORIC penalty shootout hands Sharks a semifinal spot

REPORT: In the most dramatic match of the United Rugby Championship quarterfinal phase, which had to be decided by a place-kicking competition, the Sharks booked a spot in the semifinal.

After 100 minutes of play, the Sharks and Munster were level at 24-24 in Durban.

*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!

However, after a penalty shootout, which saw the Sharks slot over six kicks and Munster four, the Durban side progressed to their first URC semifinal.

The result means the Durban side will take on the Bulls in the semifinal next week at Loftus Versfeld, while Leinster will host Glasgow Warriors in Dublin.

John Plumtree had the luxury of fielding his strongest possible team, with a few Springboks making a return to the match-day squad.

Captained by Springbok star Eben Etzebeth, the Sharks featured Siya Kolisi, Jordan Hendrikse, and Lukhanyo Am, who celebrated his 100th cap for the franchise.

The Sharks did not face a small team in the shape of Munster. The 2023 URC champs might have had an inconsistent season; however, their heaps of experience in knockout rugby were evident during the clash in Durban.

It is certainly a sad end for Munster stalwarts Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer, who bid farewell to the Irish giants.

It was an incredible atmosphere that greeted the two teams. The crowd could not contain their excitement at the sight of Am, who became a club centurion.

As the smoke from the fireworks settled, both teams took a more conservative approach.

Nonetheless, Munster still managed to keep the Sharks in their own half and absorbed most of the pressure from the Sharks’ pack.

The Sharks eventually won the scrum and finally managed to get inside Munster’s 22.

Unfortunately, a knock-on halted all their efforts.

Instead, it was Munster that struck first courtesy of a Calvin Nash try.

From a Jordan Hendrikse kick, the Irish countered, and flyhalf Jack Crowley’s cross-field kick beat Makazole Mapimpi and found Nash, who dived over in the corner.

Crowley added the extras for a 7–0 lead.

The flyhalf had a chance to extend the lead but pushed his penalty attempt wide.

After the first quarter, the Sharks were desperate to be the next team to score. Ethan Hooker showed his class with an incredible line break.

However, the wing was isolated and lost possession.

Thirty minutes into the game, Jordan Hendrikse took a shot at goal after his team won a penalty.

However, the flyhalf failed to convert, and they remained scoreless.

With less than five minutes to go before the break, the Sharks produced one of their best attacks of the half. First, Jaden Hendrikse attempted a chip over the top, which was well fielded by Thaakir Abrahams. Munster scrambled back, and Jack Crowley cleared but missed touch.

The Sharks came back again, and Mapimpi made ground with a powerful run. However, Tadhg Beirne read the play well and intercepted in his own 22.

It was certainly a scrappy 40 minutes, as Munster took a 7-0 lead at the break, which was aided by the Sharks’ predictability and handling errors.

The second half started the same, with aimless kicking from both teams.

However, the Sharks eventually retained possession before an offload by Vincent Tshituka found Hooker, who weaved his way through the defence and dived over the line for the try. Jaden Hendrikse added the extras and levelled matters.

The momentum was clearly on the side of the hosts, and soon they took the lead thanks to a Jaden Hendrikse penalty, 10–7.

But the lead was short-lived as Munster hit back immediately. Replacement prop Josh Wycherley dived over after Munster went the length of the pitch. 14–10.

A Mike Haley grubber deceived Mapimpi, and the wing slipped before Diarmuid Kilgallen dotted down for the converted try, 21–10.

The Sharks were relentless as they hunted down the 11-point deficit. Another powerful scrum could’ve seen them awarded a penalty try. However, despite the lack of it, the hosts worked their way wide before fullback Aphelele Fassi scored. Jaden Hendrikse narrowed the deficit to just four with his conversion.

With five minutes on the clock, the Sharks took the lead. They piled on the pressure before replacement hooker Fez Mbatha crashed over for the 24–21 lead.

The closing minutes were nerve-wracking as Conor Murray slotted a 45-metre penalty to level the score at 24-all, sending the match into extra time.

After 80 minutes, nothing could separate the two sides, and the teams were set for another 20 minutes of extra time.

The Sharks kept Munster inside their own half. They dominated the scrums and kept the pressure on the visitors.

However, a huge defensive effort by Munster kept the South Africans at bay.

The Hendrikse brothers tried some magic, but Jordan’s attempted drop goal was charged down by Tom Ahern.

There was a short water break before the second half of extra time started.

The Sharks continued to dominate, and their scrums were impressive, but it wasn’t enough to break through the Munster red wall.

After 20 minutes of extra time, the game had to be decided by a place-kicking contest.

The three kickers for the Sharks: Bradley Davids, Jaden Hendrikse, and Jordan Hendrikse.

Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, and Rory Scannell were the kickers for Munster.

Rory Scannell missed his first attempt.

However, showing his incredible BMT, replacement Davids nailed his second kick and handed his team the win – and Munster their exit.

Man of the match: It was a very scrappy affair, but there were a few standouts. Springbok Makazole Mapimpi was a livewire, making loads of runs but at times a little overzealous. Our nod goes to Ethan Hooker, who made a couple of solid carries, caused problems out wide, and scored his team’s first crucial try.

The scorers:

For Sharks:
Tries: Hooker, Fassi, Mbatha
Cons: Jayden Hendrikse 3
Pen: Jayden Hendrikse

For Munster:
Tries: Nash, Wycherley, Kilgallen
Cons: Crowley 3
Pens: Murray

Penalty shootout:
Sharks: Jaden Hendrikse 2, Jordan Hendrikse 2, Bradley Davids 2
Munster: Jack Crowley 2, Rory Scannell, Conor Murray

Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Siya Kolisi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 James Venter, 5 Jason Jenkins, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Emile van Heerden, 20 Phepsi Buthelezi, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Francois Venter, 23 Yaw Penxe

Munster: 15 Thaakir Abrahams, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Diarmuid Kilgallen, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Michael Milne
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 John Ryan, 19 Tom Ahern, 20 Alex Kendellen, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Rory Scannell, 23 Mike Haley

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Sam Grove White (Scotland), Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
TMO: Keith David (Wales)