Blues on course for Europe’s top table

Cardiff Blues ...... 25pts Tries: Cook 19, L Williams 24, Lane 27 Conversions: Evans 25, 28 Penalties: Evans 68, 76 Munster ................ 18pts Tries: Cloete 34, Fitzgerald 53 Conversions: Keatley 54 Penalties: Keatley 44, Bleyendaal 80

DANNY Wilson believes Cardiff Blues are in a good place to qualify for the Champions Cup after they backed up their win over Cheetahs with a 2518 victory over Munster.

First-half tries from Macauley Cook, Lloyd Williams and Owen Lane were enough to see the Blues come out on top and Zebre’s shock win at Connacht means Wilson’s men are now five points clear of their Irish rivals in Conference A.

Cheetahs can’t qualify for Europe which means the Welsh outfit are chasing Munster and Glasgow.

Wilson said: “We haven’t been in the Champions Cup for four years and that’s our goal. At the start of the season we said we wanted Champions Cup qualification and to reach a European quarter-final. We’re on the way to doing that.

“I’m very proud of the players. Munster are a good team, but the job is only half done and we’ve big games coming up.”

Munster were the architects of their own downfall as the Blues turned around 19-5 up. Cook, Williams and Lane all scored within eight minutes.

Cook opened the scoring from the excellent Ellis Jenkins’ long pass, Williams charged down a kick from his scrum-half rival and namesake Duncan, and Lane capitalised on Rey Lee-Lo’s kick ahead. Jarrod Evans kicked two conversions.

Munster got back into things thanks to Chris Cloete, but Ian Keatley’s early missed penalty summed up a woeful first half. After the break they were much improved.

Blues hooker Matthew Rees was yellow carded for offside and it allowed Munster full-back Stephen Fitzgerald to finish off a flowing team move. Keatley converted to make it four points between the teams but the Munster comeback didn’t last.

Guided by Evans, the Blues stemmed the tide as their young fly-half kicked two crucial second-half penalties to ensure they came out on top. Tyler Bleyendaal rose from the bench to secure Munster a losing bonus point with the last kick of the game.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan said: “We made a series of basic errors in the first half. We’ll have to raise our game for Glasgow next week because they are the best side in the league at the moment.”