WATCH: Jack Crowley inspires Munster Rugby to hard fought URC win over Cardiff at Thomond Park

MUNSTER Rugby made it two wins from two at the start of the new United Rugby Championship season when recording a hard fought 23-20 victory over a resilient Cardiff side in front of an official attendance of 12,033 at a windy Thomond Park on Saturday night.

This was an important win for Munster Rugby in new head coach Clayton McMillan's first competitive home game in charge of the side.

Cardiff shaded the try count, four to three, with visiting winger Tom Bowen helping himself to a hat-trick. Munster's replies came courtesy of flanker Ruadhan Quinn, a terrific team effort in the opening half, and two close range tries from Gavin Coombes and Diarmuid Barron in the second period.

Hiowever, it was the display of Munster out-half Jack Crowley who turned the game in the home side's favour. The Ireland international controlled the game superbly all through, adding eight points with the boot on an extremely testing night for goal-kickers, including knkocking over a delightful late drop goal. No wonder then that he awarded the official Man of the Match accolade.

Munster will look to open their season with a hat-trick of wins when hosting Edinburgh at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Friday evening next, 7.45pm kick-off.

Saturday night's win extended Munster Rugby's impressive unbeaten run of league fixtures against Cardiff in Limerick to 12. 

This was a real 'role up the sleeves' kind of an evening given the windy, slippery conditions that prevailed. 

On a blustery evening, the opening phases of the contest produced little of note, before the game sprung to life in the 10th minute wheh the Munster side thought they were over for the game's opening try.

60 nóim #MUNVCAR@Munsterrugby - 17@Cardiff_Rugby - 15

Diarmuid Barron ag brú thríd chun an tríú úd a fháil do Mumha anocht

Diarmuid Barron pushes through to get Munster's third try tonight@URCOfficial @IrishRugby #URC pic.twitter.com/ECwY0uUDvz

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 4, 2025

Out-half Jack Crowley created the opening when he delightfully collected his own deft chip. The Munster playmaker spotted space in the backfield with centre Dan Kelly collecting and powering towards the tryline. Hoqwever, after a lengthy consultation with the TMO Kelly was judged to have been inches short of the whitewash.

However, in the lead up to the incident, Cardiff second row Josh McNally was yellow-carded for an illegal tackle on Munster winger Shane Daly. Daly went off the pitch for a HIA and was replaced by Sean O'Brien. 

Despite the home side being a man to the good, it was Cardiff who hit the front four minutes later when experienced winger Josh Adams dotted down pouncing on Callum Sheedy's neat grubber to score.

The conversion was missed in the windy conditions, but the Welsh visitors led 5-0.

Munster lost starting hooker Niall Scannell to a blood injury and he was replaced by Niall Scannrell until just before half-time when the Cork man returned to the fray.

Munster making moves

Sensational teamwork through the hands of @munsterrugby leads to Ruadhan Quinn getting them on the scoreboard!

Catch all the action LIVE on Premier Sports#BKTURC #URC | #MUNvCAR pic.twitter.com/FwkAHmK4zC

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) October 4, 2025

The home side struck for a superb equalising try in the 29th minute. There was much to admire about the score, slick handling, accurate passing, tying in Cardiff defenders, before ultimately creating space out wide. 

Full-back Ben O'Connor make a half break inside the Cardiff 22 to stress the Welsh region's defence. Munster recycled quicky, moving the ball through hands, with Crowley again hugely infuential. Thaakir Abrahams ultimately put former Crescent College Comprehensive star Ruadhan Quinn over in the left corner to tie the scores. 

Crowley was off target with the difficult conversion attempt. 

It was vistors Cardiff who finished the half in the ascendancy, pressing hard for a second try. Munster lost number eight Gavin Coombes to a yellow card just before the break for illegally knocking the ball out of the hands of Cardiff scrum-half Johan Mulder as the visitors were close to the home side's tryline. 

Munster did well to repel Cardiff's best efforts to take a precious lead into half-time as the 2023 URC winners retired to the dressing room on level terms. 

52 nóim #MUNVCAR@Munsterrugby - 12@Cardiff_Rugby - 10

Mumha chun tosaigh tar éis do Gavin Coombes ag aimsiú úd agus Jack Crowley ag aimsiú na pointí breise

Munster go ahead after Gavin Coombes gets a try and Jack Crowley converts@URCOfficial @IrishRugby #URC pic.twitter.com/aVVSDJ0raj

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 4, 2025

Visitors Cardiff did make their numerical advantage tell just four minutes after the restart wen notching their second try. And it was well-worked. Slick handling, some neat tip-on passes and strong running from the likes of captain Liam Belcher helped stress the Munster defence and it was left winger Tom Bowen who finished in the corner as the Welsh region took a merited 10-5 advantage.

The dauntiung conversion attempt was again missed in the extremly difficult windy conditions for goal-kickers. 

The see-saw nature of the scoring then continued in the 53rd minute as Munster struck fior their second try shortly after Gavin Coombes returned to the action.

Indeed, it was the powerful Coombes who burrowed his way over the Cardiff whitewash from close range following Diarmuid Barron's clever tap-and-go to tie up the scores at 10-10. Crowlwy made light of the blustery conditions to slot the conversion for 12-10.

However, not for the first time on the night, Munster were vunerable shortly after scoring and Boiwen bagged his second try on 58 minutes, created by Sheedy's well-judged kick, to help the visitors regain the lead. 

The see-saw nature of the scoring continued once more, however as Munster struck for their third try on the hour mark. 

Cardiff tighthead prop Javan Sebastian was penalised for collapsing a scrum and the alert Barron again deployed the tap-and-go option before being forced over the tryline to help the home side into a precious 17-15 advantage.

While Crowley was off-target with the subsequent conversion, the out-half did land a penalty shortly after as Munster built a useful five point, 20-15, lead with 12 minutes remaining. 

Crowley then sealed the win when landing a terrific 76th minute drop goal which pushed Munster two scores and eigfht points to the good. 

There was still time for Bowen to complete his hat-trick of tries when dotting down in the final play of the game to leave three points between the teams at full-time. 

SCORERS: Munster Rugby: Ruadhan Quinn, Gavin Coombes, Diarmuid Barron try each, Jack Crowley con, pen, drop goal. Cardiff: Tom Bowen three tries, Josh Adams try. 

MUNSTER RUGBY: Ben O'Connor, Shane Daly, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams, Jack Crowley, Ethan Coughlan, Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell (Capt), Oli Jager, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Thomas Ahern, Ruadhan Quinn, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Sean O'Brien for Daly (HIA, 10 mins), Diarmuid Barron for Scannell (injured, 25-38 mins & half-time), Paddy Patterson for Coughlan (54 mins), Jack O'Donoghue for Quinn (54 mins), Brian Gleeson for Fineen Wycherley, Josh Wycherley for Loughman (bith 57 mins), Ronan Foxe for Jager (71 mins), Tony Butler for Crowley (77 mins).

CARDIFF RUGBY: Jacob Beetham, Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Rory Jennings, Tom Bowen, Callum Sheedy, Johan Mulder, Danny Southworth, Liam Belcher (Capt), Javan Sebastian, Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Dan Thomas, Alun Lawrence. Replacements: Daf Hughes for Belcher (51 mins), Rhys Barratt for Southworth (54 mins), Ben Donnell for Mann, Taine Basham for Thomas (both 59 mins), Sam Wainwright for Sebastian, Ioan Lloyd for Sheedy (both 66 mins), Aled Davies for Mulder (68 mins), Steff Emanuel for Millard (73 mins).

REFEREE: Griffin Colby (South Africa)