Eight points from the boot of Jack Crowley helped Munster battle to a 23-20 win over Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship.
Josh Adams scored the first try of the game but Ruadhan Quinn’s score brought Munster level at the break.
After the restart Tom Bowen scored twice either side of Gavin Coombes’ try, each time assisted by the superb Callum Sheedy.
Diarmuid Barron and a Crowley penalty put Munster five points clear with 15 minutes to play, and a late drop goal from the Irish fly-half extended that advantage.
Bowen completed his hat-trick in the final minute to earn Cardiff a well-earned losing bonus point and try-scoring bonus point, but it wasn’t enough for the win in Limerick.
Both sides won their opening matches and it was Munster who almost took an early lead when Dan Kelly collected Crowley’s kick but was well tackled by Adams, and the home centre was stopped just short of the line.
However, Josh McNally was sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle on Shane Daly in the lead-up to the disallowed score.
Adams then made a big intervention at the other end when he collected Callum Sheedy’s crossfield kick to touch down.
Munster hit back in 10 minutes before half time when the hosts worked the ball through the hands of the backline, and that allowed Quinn to cross in the corner unchallenged.
Cardiff rallied and had the ball held up under the posts, but play was brought back after Gavin Coombes slapped the ball out of the hands of Johan Mulder at a ruck, and the back row was sent to the bin.
The visitors capitalised on their man advantage three minutes after the restart when Adams made a break and Sheedy’s quick hands sent Bowen scampering across in the corner.
Back to their full compliment, Munster piled the pressure on the Cardiff line and Coombes showed power and strength to hold off three blue jerseys to score. Crowley landed the first conversion of the game to give Munster the lead.
Sheedy played a key role again as his superb kick through was me by Bowen’s diving catch to immediately hit back.
Hooker Barron crashed over to restore Munster’s advantage, and Crowley added a penalty to extend Munster’s lead.
Cardiff pressed for a decisive score but Crowley’s well-struck drop goal gave Munster an eight-point margin in the closing stages, which was enough to win despite Bowen’s hat-trick score in the final seconds of the game.
Munster: O’Connor; Daly, Kelly, Nankivell, Abrahams; Crowley, E Coughlan; Loughman, Scannell (capt), Jager, Kleyn, F Wycherley, Ahern, R Quinn, Coombes.
Replacements: Barron, J Wycherley, Foxe, J O’Donoghue, Gleeson, Patterson, Butler, S O’Brien.
Cardiff: Beetham; Adams, Millard, Jennings, Bowen; Sheedy, Mulder; Southworth, Belcher (capt), Sebastian; McNally, Williams, Mann, D Thomas, Lawrence.
Replacements: D Hughes, Barratt, Wainwright, Donnell, Basham, A Davies, I Lloyd, Emanuel.
