Munster start URC campaign with defeat in Cardiff 

Graham Rowntree's first competitive game in charge started with a defeat on the road. 

TOUGH START: Liam Coombes of Munster is tackled by Rey Lee-Lo of Cardiff at the Arms Park.

Cardiff 20

Munster 13

The Graham Rowntree era got off a losing start in Wales as Munster slipped to a late defeat at Cardiff.

Twice Munster led at the Arms Park, first through the boot of Ben Healy, and then after Jack O’Sullivan’s second-half try.

But they were unable to hold onto the lead for more than six minutes each time as tries by Max Llewellyn, Kristian Dacey and Aled Summerhill clinched victory for Cardiff, ending a run of six successive defeats to Munster.

Rowntree was forced into a late change to his bench when Rory Scannell broke his nose during the warm-up, so Antoine Frisch was promoted to the replacements.

Having been postponed from Friday night, kick-off was further delayed for a two-minute silence to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth and a minute’s applause following the death of former Wales international and broadcaster Eddie Butler.

When play did begin, it was an inauspicious start for Munster’s new signing Malakai Fekitoa who knocked-on with his first touch in a red jersey and conceded a penalty moments later.

It was from the resulting lineout that Cardiff opened the scoring with a try inside three minutes. Fineen Wycherley failed to hold onto centre Llewellyn, who got back to his feet to touch down.

Munster’s young side could have been overawed by such a start but there were promising signs for Rowntree at the way they regained their composure, to claim the lead through two penalties either side of an impressive defensive set on their own try line midway through the first half.

Cardiff lost new signing Liam Williams to a shoulder injury just 20 minutes into his debut but Jack O’Donoghue’s high tackle on Thomas Young allowed the hosts to set up camp.

Jack O’Sullivan and Keynan Knox were at the fore of a resilient stand that would have left new defence coach Denis Leamy beaming.

Calvin Nash and Shane Daly were also pressed into action, both snuffing out tries, Nash with a smothering tackle on flanker James Botham and then Daly beating Jarrod Evans in a foot race over the try line.

Paddy Paterson’s darting break almost ended moments later with Liam Coombes scoring however thew wing, boosted no doubt with a rare start, did not quite have the reach to stretch out of the tackle to touch down.

Munster had nevertheless done enough to earn a second shot of goal for Healy that he converted from in front of the posts to hand Munster a 6-5 lead on 31 minutes.

However they were unable to hold onto their advantage to half-time and were undone by a perfectly-executed set-piece move straight off the Cardiff training ground three minutes before the break.

Dacey delivered the lineout, took the return from captain Josh Turnbull before supplying Llewellyn and was on-hand again to receive the scoring pass. This time Evans converted for a 12-6 lead at the break.

Cardiff looked odds-on to extend that lead during the second half but Munster again had Daly to thank.

Taulupe Faletau, another British & Irish Lion to arrive in the summer, became an increasing threat with ball in hand but it was a surprise kick, after Patterson came close to cutting clear, that almost created a try.

Faletau’s clearance found Young who would have been over if not for the last-gasp tackle by Daly.

It was enough to galvanise Munster once more with replacement Josh Hodnett reigning supreme at the breakdown. Munster edged their way up-field with a series of tries that culminated in O’Sullivan burrowing over from close range on 63 minutes.

But again Munster failed to hold out, conceding a penalty to Evans before Tomos Williams and Uilisi Halaholo combined from a scrum to hand Summerhill an easy finish three minutes from time.

Cardiff: L Williams (R Priestland, 20); A Summerhill, R Lee-Lo, M Llewellyn (U Halaholo, 69), J Adams; J Evans, T Williams; R Carre, K Dacey (L Belcher, 57), D Lewis (D Arhip, 69); J Turnbull (capt), S Davies (M Screech, 74); J Botham, T Faletau, T Young (L Timani, 64).

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Rhys Barratt, Dmitri Arhip, Matthew Screech, Lopeti Timani, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, Uilisi Halaholo.

Tries – M Llewellyn, K Dacey, A Summerhill. Con – J Evans. Pens – J Evans.

Munster: S Daly; C Nash, C Farrell (A Frisch, 59), M Fekitoa, L Coombes; B Healy (J Crowley, 55), P Patterson; J Wycherley (D Kilcoyne, 55), N Scannell (D Barron, 55) , K Knox (R Salanoa, 53); J Kleyn, F Wycherley (T Ahern, 69); J O’Donoghue (capt), J O’Sullivan, A Kendellen (J Hodnett 22-32, 40).

Try – J O’Sullivan. Con – J Crowley. Pens – B Healy (2) Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU) Attendance: 6,434