Munster cruise into quarter-finals

Ahead of next week's trip to Montauban, the defending champions became the first team to make the last eight as they overwhelmed the Sharks in the Limerick rain.

First-half tries from man-of-the-match Paul O'Connell and Jerry Flannery saw them establish a 12-6 half-time lead. Sale closed the gap to 19-14 with a Charlie Hodgson try, but further touchdowns from Ian Dowling, Tomas O'Leary and Paul Warwick confirmed Munster's dominance.

Munster made a bright start and Keith Earls' fourth-minute cameo presented quick ball for Tomas O'Leary on the Sale 22, Warwick hit the line at pace and hacked on and when Ronan O'Gara swept forward to secure possession on the deck, O'Connell followed up by diving over the line from two metres out.

Hodgson converted a ninth-minute penalty, but the visitors' defensive frailties were shown up again just three minutes later when Flannery crossed for try number two.

O'Gara converted to take his Heineken Cup points-scoring record to 1,003 points but some indiscipline from the home forwards allowed Sale reduce the arrears. Luke McAlister took over the place-kicking duties after Hodgson had missed a kickable left-sided penalty and the All Black closed the gap to 12-6.

But Sale's night was summed up when Munster scored a try after just 26 seconds of the second half. Sale captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe collected O'Gara's restart but he was hit hard by O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan, Munster gained turnover ball and Wallace crashed over the line past Hodgson and Chris Bell.

The try went unconverted and Sale then enjoyed their best spell around the 50-minute mark when McAlister pumped a penalty through the posts and Hodgson then rounded off a breakaway for his try.

McAlister's missed conversion left it tantalisingly poised at 19-14 but Munster increased their lead once again when Hodgson fumbled a kick to the corner from O'Gara and the ball fell invitingly for winger Dowling to slide over and score.

Sale were continually pressed back into their 22 and off a close range scrum, Munster number nine O'Leary wormed his way over past David Doherty. Warwick also crossed in the 74th minute and tagged on a last-minute penalty to push the winning margin out to 23 points.