United Rugby Championship: Munster seal Champions Cup spot with Sharks draw

Jeandre Labuschagne makes ground for Sharks against Munster

Munster earned a 22-22 comeback draw with Sharks to secure fifth in the URC and a Champions Cup place next season.

Bongi Mbonambi, Werner Kok and Sikhumbuzo Notshe scored tries for the hosts, who led 19-3 at the break at King's Park in Durban.

Munster fought back in the second half with a penalty try and scores from Calvin Nash and Connor Murray.

Ben Healy kicked the crucial conversion for Murray's try to clinch dramatic draw for the Irish side.

Munster went into the game having already secured a place in the URC quarter-finals but the result cements their qualification for the Champions Cup.

Sharks will be disappointed with letting their half-time lead slip as they were targeting a win to assist in their quest for Champions Cup rugby.

Sharks got off to a strong start, with hooker Mbonambi barging over after a clean take from Gerbrandt Grobler in the lineout.

Jack Crowley tapped over a penalty to get Munster off the mark, but the opening exchanges did not yield much for either side.

The game sprung into life around the half-hour mark, with Shane Daly being shown a yellow card for taking Curwin Bosch out in the air and Kok immediately took advantage of their one-man advantage to power his way over.

The Sharks had the ascendancy heading towards the break and their domination was rewarded with a try from Notshe to send his side in with a commanding half-time lead.

A Boeta Chamberlain penalty extended the lead for the hosts, but Munster hit back with an opportunistic try from Nash, who capitalised on Chamberlain's failure to ground the ball over his own line to dot down and keep his side in the game.

Munster were given a lifeline when Aphelele Fassi was shown a yellow card for slapping the ball down in an offside position and Munster were awarded a penalty try.

Munster's one-man advantage was quickly cancelled out by a yellow card for Munster captain Peter O'Mahoney.

Regardless, the momentum swung towards Munster, and they fought back with a clever try from Murray, who dived over from the side of a ruck. Healy added the extras to level the game and Munster held on to secure the two points they needed.

Sharks: B Chamberlain; W Kok, L Am, B Tapuai, M Mapimpi; C Bosch, G Williams; O Nche, B Mbonambi, T du Toit; J Labuschagne, G Grobler; S Kolisi (capt), V Tshituka, S Notshe.

Replacements: K van Vuuren, N Mchunu, C Sadie, R Hugo, P Buthelezi, C Wright, R Janse van Rensburg, A Fassi.

Munster: M Haley; C Nash, A Frisch, M Fekitoa, S Daly; J Crowley, C Murray; J Loughman, D Barron, S Archer; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; P O'Mahony (capt), A Kendellen, G Coombes.

Replacements: S Buckley, J Wycherley, K Knox, E Edogbo, J O'Donoghue, C Casey, B Healy, K Earls.

Referee: M Adamson (SRFU)