United Rugby Championship: Munster crumble after early lead over Lions, Sharks tear apart Zebre

Stan Wilson 19 Mar 2022 9:32 AM

Munster suffered with the Johannesburg heat and altitude in the second half after an outstanding start to eventually lose 23-21 to the Lions in the United Rugby Championship.

Front-rowers John Ryan and Josh Wycherley scored tries to help the visitors to a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter before Fineen Wycherley’s try just before the break helped cancel out Edwill van der Merwe’s score for the host team.

However, the conditions took their toll on Munster as the second half progressed and the home side eventually started to eat away at the deficit.

Click here for the teams and scorers.

Wandisile Simelane’s 67th-minute try was crucial and Jordan Hendrikse, who kicked 13 points for the Lions in total, edged them into a lead they would not relinquish, with Munster pointless after the interval.

An early Jack Crowley penalty attempt fell just short but the Munster fly-half opened his account after Ryan burrowed over next to the posts for the game’s first try in the eighth minute.

Ryan was involved again as he and Niall Scannell demonstrated some excellent ball-carrying in the build-up to front-row colleague Josh Wycherley touching down, with Crowley again on target from the tee.

The Lions needed a spark to bring them back into the contest and it arrived when Burger Odendaal offloaded to Van der Merwe and the wing showed tremendous strength to repel a Munster tackler and scamper down the left flank to score.

Hendrikse converted and added a subsequent penalty, reducing Munster’s lead to 14-10, but there was daylight between the sides once more when some great hands led to Fineen Wycherley crashing over at the end of the first half.

Alex Kendellen had a try chalked off due to a forward pass 10 minutes into the second half and the visitors will have been grateful for their strong start – and a couple of wasted Lions opportunities – as the unfamiliar conditions began to tell.

The Lions started to take advantage of their tiring visitors and, after Hendrikse reduced the arrears to eight from the tee, Simelane was sent over down the right wing and Hendrikse made it a one-point game.

The Lions fly-half then fired the winning penalty, sending the home side into the lead for the first time six minutes from the end.

Shark attack decimate Zebre in Durban

The Sharks pulled clear in the second half to earn a 38-6 United Rugby Championship victory over Zebre Parma in Durban.

Sean Everitt’s men were big favourites against the competition’s bottom side but the hosts had to be patient, leading just 10-6 at half-time thanks to a Henco Venter try.

The Sharks kicked on after the break, with Bongi Mbonambi going over before a pair of yellow cards proved costly for the previously stubborn visitors.

Khutha Mchunu and Grant Williams both touched down during Potu Leavasa’s time in the sin bin while Curwin Bosch – who kicked 13 points – went over in Jacopo Bianchi’s absence to complete the scoring.

The result lifts the Sharks back to the top of the South African Shield and sixth in the overall table.

Lions