Munster in vengeful mood

RUGBY/Munster 24 Cardiff 13:MUNSTER HAD been licking their wounds from last week's defeat in Glasgow by reputedly inflicting plenty more on each other in a sore and intense week's training. Sure enough, Cardiff were the latest to pay for catching Munster in a vengeful mood at their Limerick fortress in the Magners League.

Although without all bar John Hayes of their Lions’ contingent and a few more, his return along with barnstorming performances by Niall Ronan and Alan Quinlan led Munster to an eighth successive competitive win at Thomond Park.

There were blemishes. Peter Allan’s penalty count again went heavily against them, and their game lacked continuity – although with the changed laws at the breakdown this is a prevailing problem. Ronan pilfered ball at will and along with him Quinlan came up with some big plays before the latter was given what must have been a sweet-sounding ovation upon his departure.

With Mick O’Driscoll ruling the airwaves, Munster shredded the Cardiff lineout, all the more so when Hayes was on the pitch in the first half, and had enough of the old forward fire-power when close to the Blues’ line to muscle over for a couple of decisive tries.

Jeremy Manning kicked five from seven for a 14-point haul and generally directed them pretty well, while there were some nice touches from the pacy Felix Jones at fullback as well as cameos from their young tyros off the bench to underline their strength in depth.

Prior to the kick-off there was a minute’s silence for Ralph Murphy, the eminently likeable and popular Munster Branch president of three years ago, who sadly passed away during the week, and a half-full Thomond Park were then given a slow-burner for their troubles. Munster had much the better of a scoreless opening quarter, thanks in no small measure to the damage they wreaked on a decidedly creaky Cardiff line-out – which coughed up four of their first five throws.

Hayes, in his first outing since taming the Beast in the third Lions’ Test last June, soon made his presence felt in his 40-minute return as he fork-lifted O’Driscoll into the air for a sumptuous one-handed take off the T Rhys Thomas throw. Ronan was also making his presence felt at the breakdown, flourishing with the new laws there which permit Groundhog specialists to contest for the ball longer, and tackling and defending superbly.

However, Munster struggled to outflank the Blues’ rush defence, often having no option but to cut back in-field, and were also being turned over themselves at the breakdown. Stalemate ensured until the home side’s effective kick-and-chase game saw Leigh Halfpenny hold on rather blatantly after Denis Hurley had followed up Peter Stringer’s huge up-and-under off a lineout.

Manning opened the scoring and, after Doug Howlett had been penalised for holding on, restored the lead following another lineout steal when Cardiff pushed up too early. Typically, it was Quinlan who provided something off the cuff to ratchet up the tempo.

Daring to take a quick tap just outside his own 22, he galloped upfield and off-loaded brilliantly in the tackle for O’Driscoll, who was alert to the moment. From the recycle, Barry Murphy chased his own kick into space, and obstruction helped Halfpenny counter.

Munster opted for a scrum, and Denis Leamy’s pace and strength off the base, coupled with an effective clear-out and superb presentation, enabled Marcus Horan to follow-up and burst through Xavier Rush’s tackle to score.

However, after Manning had converted and landed another penalty, Rush had his retort in the last play of the half when cleverly and sharply running in a counter-attacking try after Ben Blair had palmed his own chip infield for Rhys Thomas to provide the link when double-tackled.

Munster’s lead was trimmed to three points soon after the interval by another Blair penalty for offside. Tempers frayed, the two looseheads having an after-whistle scuffle on the ground, and an ill-timed late charge by Mamma Molitika on Manning saw him yellow carded. Manning dusted himself down and bisected the posts.

Otherwise, though, Cardiff weren’t inconvenienced in the next 10 minutes, and it took yet another burrowing steal on the ground by Ronan to turn the tide back. After Jones hit the line thrillingly, Tony Buckley, Damien Varley and Horan were all held up short, but from the ensuing scrum Munster went blind, where Howlett made the ball available in the tackle, and Leamy squirmed over adroitly.

A rash of penalties from Peter Allan against the home side put paid to any hopes of going for the bonus point, culminating in the binning of Mafi for being on the wrong side. Toby Marland, Chiefs scrumhalf in the 2009 Super 14 final, was required to make a try-saving covering tackle on Rush. But the win was never in doubt.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 21 mins: Manning pen 3-0; 23: Blair pen 3-3; 26: Manning pen 6-3; 32: Horan try, Manning con 13-3; 34: Manning pen 16-3; 39: Rush try, Blair con 16-10; (half-time 16-10); 43: Blair pen 16-13; 47: Manning pen 19-13; 60: Leamy try 24-13;

MUNSTER: F Jones; D Howlett, B Murphy, L Mafi, D Hurley; J Manning, P Stringer; M Horan, D Fogarty, J Hayes; M O’Driscoll capt, D Ryan; A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Leamy. Replacements: T Buckley for Hayes (half-time), D Varley for Fogarty (50 mins), T Morland for Stringer (53 mins), B Holland for Ryan (66 mins), T O’Donnell for Quinlan (69 mins). Not used: S Deasy, T Gleeson. Sinbinned: Mafi (74 mins).

CARDIFF: B Blair; L Halfpenny, G Thomas, D Hewitt, C Czekaj; C Sweeney, G Cooper; J Yapp, T R Thomas, T Filise, D Jones, P Tito, M Molitika, R Sowden-Taylor, X Rush. Replacements: G Powell for Filise, G Williams for Rhys Thomas (both 57 mins), A Powell for Sowden Taylor, R Rees for Cooper (both 61 mins), S Morgan for Tito, S Norton-Knight for Sweeney (both 66 mins), D James for Hewitt (67 mins). Sinbinned: Molitika (46-56 mins),

Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland).