REDS RESCUE BONUS POINT THANKS TO BLEYENDAAL
Cardiff Blues 25 Munster 18
TYLER BLEYENDAAL rescued a losing bonus point for Munster with a last minute penalty at the Cardiff Arms Park yesterday.
Three tries in nine first half minutes for the Blues proved crucial as they led 19-5 at the interval and Jarrod Evans’ assured performance from the tee in the second half steered them home in this Pro14 Conference A clash.
The first of the hosts’ three tries came through blindside flanker Macauley Cook. He provided the finish after brilliant build-up play, his back-row colleague Ellis Jenkins throwing the final pass for Cook to dot down.
Lloyd Williams added a second try just five minutes later. Deep in Munster’s 22, Williams charged down his namesake Duncan’s box-kick and gathered the ball to score his third Pro14 try of the season. Evans made no mistake with the conversion and Cardiff deservedly led 12-0.
Owen Lane notched Cardiff’s third try in the 28th minute as he got on the end of a superb Ryan Lee-lo grubber kick to score in the left corner. Evans negotiated the angle well to add the conversion.
Munster desperately needed a score before half-time and they duly got one through flanker Chris Cloete after a line-out maul. Ian Keatley missed the conversion and it was 19-5 at the interval.
Keatley scored a penalty just after half time and when Matthew Rees was sin-binned for the home side, Munster capitalised. Stephen touched down on 53 minutes and Keatley converted to narrow the gap to four points.
Munster introduced the likes of Bleyendaal and Simon Zebo in the second half as they looked to kick on but two penalties from Evans looked to have condemned the visitors to leaving Cardiff emptyhanded only for Bleyendaal’s last minute intervention.