MUNSTER can anticipate plenty of support for their opening home fixture of the new season with a visit from Cardiff to Thomond Park for a URC contest on Saturday (7.45pm).
Life under new Kiwi head coach Clayton McMillan enjoyed the perfect start with a deserved 21-34 bonus-point victory in front of an attendance of around 9,000 at Scarlets.
A dominant first half saw the visitors lead 0-13 at the break after a try from Craig Casey and eight points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan.
Clayton McMillan’s side pushed on in the second half as they scored three more tries through Mike Haley, Dan Kelly (on his competitive debut) and Tom Ahern to secure the bonus-point win.
Alex Nankivell was selected as Player of the Match.
It was a tie noteworthy for the first captaincy of the team by Shannon’s Craig Casey, a 200th cap for Niall Scannell and a debut by Young Munster legend Conor Bartley.
“It was a really proud day for me and my family captaining the side and the forwards put in a hell of a shift. We asked them to deliver and they really fronted up, so delighted with them and delighted with the performance,” said Casey.
“We knew it was going to be difficult but we want to build on a positive pre-season. I think we did that.”
On the coaching front, Alex Codling has arrived as forwards coach, while there is also a role for former Ireland and Leinster hooker Limerick’s Seán Cronin in the set-up.
Cardiff – who have an interim coaching ticket following the recent departure of Matt Sherratt to join Steve Tandy’s backroom staff with Wales – too made a winning competition start on Saturday with a 33-20 defeat of Lions at the Arms Park.
Wales centre Ben Thomas was red-carded in the fixture and will miss the trip to Limerick.
