Munster get win at Cardiff

Cardiff Blues 12 Munster 22

European champions Munster equalled Leicester’s record of 11 successive Heineken Cup victories as they put one foot in the quarter-finals with another win built around raw forward power.

Munster, unbeaten in the tournament since losing 27-13 to Sale Sharks more than a year ago, executed a perfect game-plan for wet and windy Arms Park conditions.

Their set-piece functioned efficiently throughout, while flankers Alan Quinlan and David Wallace were quicker in thought and deed than their opposite numbers at the critical breakdown area.

With fly-half Ronan O’Gara producing an immaculate goalkicking performance behind the scrum – five penalties and a conversion of number eight Denis Leamy’s 29th-minute try – Munster tightened their grip on Pool Four.

Cardiff ultimately went the same way as Castres (twice), Newport Gwent Dragons (twice), Sale, Perpignan, Leinster, Biarritz, Leicester and Bourgoin during the past 14 months, and a ninth quarter-final appearance now beckons for Munster.

Two of their remaining three group games are in Limerick, where Munster have never lost a Heineken Cup match, suggesting they could progress to the last eight as top seeds.

Cardiff, though, are facing elimination unless they can beat Munster in next weekend’s return fixture and follow it up by defeating Leicester and Bourgoin next month.

It all represents a tall order, yet Munster have no such concerns, marching relentlessly on in their quest to emulate Leicester by becoming only the second team to retain the European title.

Despite miserable weather, the Arms Park was packed to its 12,000 capacity, with a minute’s silence observed before kick-off in memory of former Cardiff and England prop Barry Nelmes, who died suddenly last week.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan looked on as Cardiff made a lively start, testing the Munster defence through Robinson’s clever tactical kicking, and full-back Ben Blair edged his team ahead with a 40-metre penalty after he hashed an opening strike from much closer range.

Munster, who lost injured wing Anthony Horgan just hours before kick-off, took time to settle, and their defence was stretched by a superb Mike Phillips break before Blair slotted another penalty that punished prop Federico Pucciariello’s indiscipline.

Pucciariello was yellow-carded for kneeing Blues flanker Scott Morgan in the ribs, and although O’Gara’s opening penalty narrowed the deficit, Cardiff continued to dominate territory and possession.

But the Blues then saw Morgan’s back-row colleague Martyn Williams sin-binned, somewhat harshly, following a high tackle on Munster wing Tomas O’Leary, and Pucciariello almost made amends for his caution by powering over in the corner.

Munster showed their clinical edge by punishing Cardiff while Williams was still off, launching a mighty forward drive that ended with Leamy touching down under a pile of bodies.

O’Gara converted for a 10-6 advantage as Munster displayed the first signs of dominating their opponents through an efficient wet-weather game superbly marshalled by Leamy and skipper Paul O’Connell.

And O’Gara slotted a majestic 50-metre penalty during first-half injury time, completing an impressive Munster recovery from six points adrift to 13-6 ahead at the interval.

Cardiff’s Wales and Lions prop Gethin Jenkins did not reappear for the second period because of injury, but two Blair penalties in four minutes gave the Blues renewed hope, even though O’Gara slotted another three-pointer that kept Munster narrowly ahead.

Munster, masters at closing out a game, turned the screw when O’Gara’s fourth successful penalty clocked up his 800th Heineken Cup point, and Cardiff could find no way back into the contest.

It proved a frustrating afternoon for the Blues, and O’Gara rubbed their noses in the dirt by booting another penalty three minutes from time that denied Cardiff a losing bonus point.