Munster 42 Cardiff 21
Munster did all that was required to get the five points which keeps them on course for home advantage in the knockout stages of the URC, but it was a lot tighter than the scoreline would suggest.
Cardiff may have had little to play for but they pushed Munster for long periods at Musgrave Park before Johann van Graan’s men got on top and secured the bonus point win after a good match, with the absence of any obvious injuries another bonus as they head into the business end of the season hoping to end their 11-year trophy famine.
In the end Munster did all that was required and can now turn their attention to Toulouse in the Champions Cup quarter-final next weekend at the Aviva Stadium before wrapping up their URC schedule there against Leinster.
Munster led 27-14 at the end of a cracking opening half. Any notions that it would be a stroll in the park for Munster against a side out of contention after another disappointing season were not long dispelled as Cardiff hit them for two excellent converted tries in the opening 17 minutes.
Their strong launch plays off the set-piece caused the Munster defence enormous trouble in the opening half, but by the break it was three tries to two as van Graan’s men got to grips with the challenge of the Welsh.
Cardiff laid out their stall from the outset with the strong running of Ray Lee-Lo cracking holes in the defence and quick hands from outhalf Jarrod Evans and fullback Hallam Amos sent lock Seb Davies crashing through Mike Haley to score in the right corner after just two minutes. Evans slotted the conversion from the right for the perfect start.
The Munster response was excellent on a perfect night for rugby in Cork. They built 17 phases with Jean Kleyn involved a few times before Simon Zebo gave the move some momentum and Ben Healy’s wide pass found Jack O’Donoghue who sent fullback Haley over for his first try. Healy converted to tie the match 7-7 after just seven minutes.
Opening quarter
A tapped Cardiff penalty yielded nothing as Munster got enough bodies back to prevent hooker Kristian Dacey from touching down, but they scored after taking the restart back up the middle and a superb offload by Amos sent Lee-Lo over on the right for another converted try after 17 minutes.
Amos, who is retiring at the end of the season to concentrate on his medical career, then prevented Chris Farrell from grounding the ball following a tapped penalty after Simon Zebo was bundled into touch by Owen Lane.
Healy pulled back a penalty to make it 14-10 at the end of the opening quarter before Munster hit the front for the first time after 26 minutes when Haley got his second try. He started and finished the move, running from deep and as Farrell and Diarmuid Barron carved holes in the Cardiff defence, the fullback cut a superb line through the middle to score under the posts after 27 minutes.
Blow
Cardiff suffered another blow when the 27-year old Amos was carried off for what might be his last action as a professional player and the Welsh international was afforded a generous send-off by the Musgrave Park faithful.
They were also in good voice applauding the counter-rucking of tighthead John Ryan, playing his last game in his native Cork before his summer move to Wasps.
Healy extended the lead with his second penalty and then Munster pulled away when Calvin Nash, Haley and Healy were all heavily involved before the impressive Thomas Ahern stretched and scored for another converted try.
That should have killed the Cardiff challenge but they hit back after 56 minutes when experienced scrumhalf Lloyd Williams stepped inside Ryan from a ruck to score under the posts, with Evans converting to cut the margin to 27-21.
Healy eased the home nerves with a penalty from 40 metres - extending his run of successful kicks to 21 - before he made way for Joey Carbery as Munster changed their halfbacks.
And Craig Casey wasted little time in making an impact as Munster came with another sustained bout of pressure with Ahern and Peter O’Mahony making big impacts, and with an advantage being played for a high tackle on the replacement scrumhalf, they went through the phases and Jack O’Donoghue popped up a pass in the tackle for Casey to score and secure the bonus point.
Carbery’s conversion made it 37-21 after 63 minutes and all that remained to be decided was the margin of victory.
Casey tapped a quick penalty to get his second try three minutes from time to ensure a win by double scores, but it was a lot tighter than that.
Scorers: Munster: Tries: M Haley (2), C Casey (2), T Ahern. Cons: B Healy (3), J Carbery. Pens: Healy (3). Cardiff: Tries: S Davies, R Lee-Lo, L Williams. Cons: J Evans (3).
Munster: M Haley; C Nash, C Farrell, R Scannell, S Zebo; B Healy, C Murray; J Loughman, D Barron, J Ryan; J Kleyn, T Ahern; P O'Mahony (Capt), A Kendellen, J O'Donoghue.
Replacements: S Buckley for Barron (52 mins), J Wycherley for Loughman (57 mins), K Knox for Ryan (57 mns), J Jenkins for Kleyn (61 mins), J Carbery for Healy (61 mins), C Casey for Murray (61 mins), J Daly for O’Donoghue (65 mins), S Daly for Zebo (70 mins).
Cardiff: H Amos; O Lane, R Lee-Lo, M Llewellyn, T Cabango; J Evans, L Williams; R Carré, K Dacey, D Lewis; S Davies, R Thornton; J Botham, J Navidi, J Ratti.
Replacements: M Screech for Thornton (18 mins), G Smth for Cabango (28-28 mins), R Priestland for Amos (30 mins), K Assiratti for Lewis (60 mins), K Myhill for Dacey (64 mins), J Hill for Williams (65 mins), B Thyer for Carré (65 mins), E Jenkins for Ratti (65 mins).
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
