Munster beat Cardiff 33-16 to go top of Guinness Pro12 table
Last Updated: 15/02/15 6:43pm
JJ Hanrahan kicked 18 points as Munster moved top of the Guinness Pro12 with a 33-16 win over Cardiff.
Denis Hurley scored a try on his first appearance as captain and Jack O'Donoghue another on his senior debut as Munster completed the double over their visitors after victory in Wales in November.
Ryan O'Mahony's last-minute score was an added extra on the home side's first outing at the redeveloped Irish Independent Park.
The first half was evenly contested with Hanrahan matching Rhys Patchell's three-penalty tally.
Following Patchell's opening three-pointer, some neat link play between backs and forwards saw the Blues get in sight of the try-line with the result being another Patchwell penalty.
The Welshmen remained on the front foot as Lloyd Williams' pass was just ruled forward before Gavin Evans broke clear for the posts, and Patchell punished a Donncha O'Callaghan lineout infringement to make it 9-3.
But an offside call against Manoa Vosawai allowed Hanrahan draw his side level in the 39th minute.
In the second half, number eight Jack O'Donoghue bulldozed through off a quick lineout and stand-in captain Hurley burrowed over from a yard out. Hanrahan supplied the extras for a 16-9 scoreline.
And they moved closer to victory on the hour mark when Hurley sent Keith Earls spinning away from five retreating Blues and O'Donoghue provided the finishing touches.
The Blues efforts' deserved a try and Josh Navidi delivered it, slipping through from a ruck in the 22 and holding off Darren Sweetnam to touch down.
Patchell converted to raise hopes of his side claiming a losing bonus point, but in the closing stages Hanrahan booted them out of reach before his final pass put winger Peter O'Mahony over for try number three.
