Munster vs Cardiff Blues

Anyone watching this!

The Blues offloading is insane!

It results in an early try for Tom James following several excellent offloads

And Munster hit back immediately from some of their own offloading and some poor covering from the Blues back 3

5 - 7

Munster 7-10 Cardiff

Good match so far!

Yep. Pretty exciting. Munster winning the kicking game at the moment, also doing well in the contact area, but Blues look a better attacking threat and are making more break

Scrum V commentators reckon Nick Williams used to be a Munster favourite... I remember their fans singing a different tune! He wasn't highly rated at that time. To the extent people couldn't believe Ulster were signing him.

He'll be a big asset to the Blues. Literally.

Munster really causing the Blues problems in the air. Didn't like that hand on Fish in the air just then though.

Gethin Jenkins nailed fair and square by the officials and he still mouths cowpat at the decision.

To be fair, you see far clearer obstructions not given

Fantastic try!

It seemed a bit harsh to me at first, but replay shows it was a fair enough call. Cardiff just get a Try.

wales606 wrote:To be fair, you see far clearer obstructions not given

That was demonstrably clear. Done with intent to achieve the try.

I like this ref. Takes no crap from either side.

Pot Hale wrote:I like this ref.  Takes no crap from either side.

Yeah, he is one the better ones - in that I don't associate his name with pedantry or awful decision making like half the refs in the league.

Might be just me but I far prefer Andrew Conway to Simon Zebo.

Pot Hale wrote:Gethin Jenkins nailed fair and square by the officials and he still mouths cowpat at the decision.

I don't know why he'd be holding and pushing players off the ball if he wasn't trying to create an obstruction, so not sure why he was so surprised.

Good game this. Blues look pretty good. Could be the year they finally stop under performing?

wales606 wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:I like this ref.  Takes no crap from either side.

Yeah, he is one the better ones - in that I don't associate his name with pedantry or awful decision making like half the refs in the league.

I'm lucky.  I don't associate any refs with pedantry or awful decision-making.    Or what country they're from either.

Makes games much easier to watch and enjoy.

Notch wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:Gethin Jenkins nailed fair and square by the officials and he still mouths cowpat at the decision.

I don't know why he'd be holding and pushing players off the ball if he wasn't trying to create an obstruction, so not sure why he was so surprised.

Good game this. Blues look pretty good. Could be the year they finally stop under performing?

Well we finally have a good coach who knows the players and has had a chance to embed his system. We finished last season on an excellent run and look to be continuing it this season.

Pot Hale wrote:

wales606 wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:I like this ref.  Takes no crap from either side.

Yeah, he is one the better ones - in that I don't associate his name with pedantry or awful decision making like half the refs in the league.

I'm lucky.  I don't associate any refs with pedantry or awful decision-making.    Or what country they're from either.

Makes games much easier to watch and enjoy.

Mostly when I hear the name Lacey or Clancy, or most of the Scottish officials.

Munster, on the other hand, do not look great. This is the second week they've been dominated in terms of possession and territory but this time the Blues have made a lot more yards than the Scarlets, and shown a lot more imagination too.

Can still win this game but I'm underwhelmed by the home team so far.

wales606 wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

wales606 wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:I like this ref.  Takes no crap from either side.

Yeah, he is one the better ones - in that I don't associate his name with pedantry or awful decision making like half the refs in the league.

I'm lucky.  I don't associate any refs with pedantry or awful decision-making.    Or what country they're from either.

Makes games much easier to watch and enjoy.

Mostly when I hear the name Lacey or Clancy, or most of the Scottish officials.

Quelle surprise!

Let me guess - you're a Welsh fan, right?

Munster blew a great try scoring opportunity due to O'Donoghue's stupidity at going off his feet.

And O'Donnell almost inevitably injures himself. Not a bad replacement in Stander though.

Good scrum statement by Munster as they chew up half the pitch and get a penalty for their efforts.

Hmmm. Bit of a high tackle missed there by the officials.

Munster injecting a bit more pace in their attacks.

Munster turning on the power game,

But Navidi finally gets the turnover at the breakdown

And they've lost their pace again. Williams is a bit of a plodder at times at the base of the Munster scrum.

Jeez. Munster player gets yanked back around the neck from a lineout catch in front of the ref who doesn't see it. Luckily, the asst. ref does.

Yellow card? Nope.

I really like Conway attacking. Unlucky with the pass there - forward.

Blues clinging on at the moment. They need some possession, and ideally 3 points.

Tomos Williams goes off after another superb game.

Munster turn it on in the scrum at the right time and win a penalty off a Cardiff put-in. 3 points from Keatley?

Scott Andrews comes on and it could cost us another game

He puts it over.

13-17 on 54 minutes.

Munster now playing really well here. Jekyll and Hyde from Munster- this is a different Munster team from the first half entirely. Cardiff will break if they can't get some sustained possession.

Arggg, we finally had possession and territory and we literally throw it away

Stupid penalty in possession from the Blues. It is all Munster at the moment

And there it is. All from the Blues throwing away the ball in possession at the other end.

Frustrating from the Blues at the moment.

It's a good match still. Chance for Anscombe to level things up.

Needed to make that

It misses unfortunately.

20-17 to Munster on 65 mins. A few subs with James for Anscombe, Morgan for Shingler and O'Leary for Williams.

Deja vu. another Munster turnover at the maul.

Blues can't keep possession for more than 10 seconds at the moment.

Whaddatry!!! What! A! Try!

Stupid kick by Munster and Cardiff come straight back and put it through hands to score a lovely try.

Shingler kicks the conversion and it's 20-24 to Cardiff

11 minutes to go.

BEAUTIFUL!

Matthew Morgan makes his impact!

Warburton gives away a penalty with side entry and Keatley elects to kick for posts from 35 metres out.

And he's brought his boots tonight with 5 out of 5.

One point game - 23-24. Eight minutes to go.

Dumb penalty to give away

Blues need to keep possession and force a penalty to hopefully settle things

Munster criminal in their non-protection of tackled players.

Need to get the ball off the pitch if Fish is injured

Cardiff have this now if they can keep their nerve