Tal-ly ho as Blues pull off a late victory

Mar 3 2008 South Wales Echo

Cardiff Blues 25-22 Munster

IT’S a very long time since the Arms Park has witnessed a finish of such drama as the one which unfolded on Saturday night.

Deep into injury time Cardiff Blues looked out of it.

Munster, leading 22-18 after their pack had taken command in the second half, had worn down the clock with a prolonged spell of running the ball into contact and recycling it in their own 22.

The Blues were then penalised at what must have been about the 85th ruck the Irish had set up, but as fly-half Paul Warwick readied himself to hit touch, referee Peter Allan told him there would be time for one more play.

Even accounting for that, all Warwick had to do was belt it out, watch Paul O’Connell win the lineout ball, smash it into row Z of the stand again and wait for the blast of the final whistle.

But the Australian got greedy and went for too much yardage on the kick. The wind, gusting from the Taff end of the ground, grabbed hold of the ball and it landed in Cardiff hands for one last hurrah.

And what a hurrah it was. Moments later, the impressive Jamie Roberts burst through a gap in the centre of the field and fed Tal Selley for a match-winning try.

Ben Blair hardly needed to convert it, but for good measure he did.

The score sparked the type of celebration rarely seen at this ground in recent times, especially for a Magners League game.

Supporters were up out of their seats, jumping up and down in the joy of seeing their side steal a victory that had looked out of reach.

And when the final whistle sounded there was a pitch invasion, delirious fans gathering around the tunnel in triumph.

Those amazing few minutes capped a wonderful night for the Blues.

Quite apart from the victory keeping alive their league title ambitions, the hosts staged a regional clubs day, offering fans who wore their club shirts to the game a £5 voucher off the price of a ticket for the Scarlets fixture on April 11.

They were rewarded for their initiative with a crowd of more than 11,000 – and it’s a fair bet most of them will want to come again after the excitement of this one.

And it will have been the 80 minute intensity of the game that gripped spectators.

So often in the past the likes of Munster have turned up for matches like this with their entire international contingent nowhere to be seen and a half-hearted approach from those filling in.

Not this time. With names like O’Connell, Foley, Quinlan, Stringer and Howlett in their ranks Munster were here to win – and O’Connell’s deep disappointment afterwards confirmed as much.

Straight away we knew the visitors meant business as a furious start yielded a try for former Swansea full-back Shaun Payne, who ran through to ground a clever chip by Warwick after just 50 seconds.

The way that score was celebrated by the Munster players told you everything you needed to know about their mindset, and from then on a full-blooded battle unfolded in difficult conditions.

The Blues hit back with some powerful attacks of their own. Gareth Thomas made countless hard yards in midfield and there was some oustanding off-loading in contact from the home side.

Bursts by Jamie Robinson and Thomas helped construct a touchdown for hooker Rhys Thomas in the 24th minute and Dai Young’s side should have claimed a second try when scrum-half Richie Rees broke clear just before half-time.

Rees might have gone on his own but he elected to pass to Selley who never had the pace to finish the move.

Warwick’s penalty crafted a 10-8 interval lead for Munster and it was in the third quarter that the away side really began to make their presence felt.

With O’Connell and Quinlan influential, the Irish controlled the pattern, keeping things tight and using their bulk to grind the Blues down.

On top of that, debutant Blues fly-half Rhys Jones struggled to stamp his mark on the game, with his biggest failing being his kicking inaccuracy.

But under the circumstances, Jones should not be too hard on himself. For a 20-year-old to shine in the number 10 shirt on a blowy evening when his pack was under the cosh for significant spells was asking a hell of a lot.

Jones should bank the experience for a later date and move on.

Tries from tighthead prop Tony Buckley and O’Connell before the hour mark put Munster 22-11 ahead and seemingly out of sight by the hour mark.

But Roberts’ try, after Gareth Thomas had made the all important incision, gave the Blues fresh hope before the grandstand finish. There was some poetic justice in Munster having the spoils pinched from them given the cynical method they used to try to close the game out.

delme.parfitt@mediawales.co.uk