In Pics: Munster 31 Sale 9

Pictured above: Peter Stringer congratulates Munster flanker David Wallace on his 82nd-minute try – the score that booked the men in red a home tie in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals against Perpignan. It was Wallace’s seventh try in as many Heineken Cup campaigns and just reward for another barnstorming display by the Limerick man.

David Wallace cannot hide his delight after bursting off the back of a close-in ruck and beating the Sale cover for Munster’s precious fourth try at Thomond Park.

The Munster players converge on David Wallace, celebrating his late try.

Munster centre Barry Murphy, who has earned a call-up to the Ireland training squad for the RBS 6 Nations, is tackled by Sale duo Ben Coutts (left) and Mark Taylor (right). The 23-year-old Murphy has formed an impressive midfield partnership with South African Trevor Halstead in recent weeks, and managed to score his first Heineken Cup try on Saturday. The scintillating score which saw him ghost over from all of halfway went some way to earning the UL Bohemians clubman the Heineken Cup man-of-the-match award.

Sale number 8 Sebastien Chabal is smothered up by Munster lock Donncha O’Callaghan.

An early Munster attack comes to a halt as Elvis Seveali’i tackles Munster centre Trevor Halstead to the ground.

The Munster supporters watch in delight as Kilkenny man Ian Dowling scores the province’s second try in the left corner on 28 minutes. It was Dowling’s first ever Heineken Cup try after he made his bow in the competition against Castres on January 13.

The Munster players take to the balcony at Thomond Park where they celebrated qualifying for the Heineken Cup’s last-eight for the eighth successive season with a bumper 13,200-capacity crowd.

**All photos by Billy Stickland and Lorraine O’Sullivan of Inpho Photography**