The Cardiff Blues stunned Munster 37-13, while there were also wins for the Dragons, Connacht, Leinster and Ospreys in the Pro14.
The Blues had not won a game up to this point and they were certainly given little to no chance, by pundits and bookies alike, to beat Johann van Graan’s high-flying Munster. After a closely-fought first half, the hosts simply bullied Munster into submission in the second half to cause what would have been the biggest upset in round four if not for the Kings’ stunning victory over the Glasgow Warriors.
REPORT: Classy Kings stun Warriors
Owen Lane thought he had scored Cardiff’s first try in the opening minutes, but his effort was disallowed after the TMO ruled Munster’s Joey Carbery had been blocked from making a try-saving tackle. The home side eventually took the lead through Nick Williams, but Munster struck back twice courtesy of wing Andrew Conway’s brace of tries for a 10-7 advantage. But while a penalty by Carbery extended his side’s tally, another converted try for the Blues, scored by Tomos Williams, ensured they went into the break 14-13 up.
What transpired in the second half was completely unexpected. Not only did Cardiff outplay Munster, but they also managed to keep them scoreless with dogged defence. Two more tries, by Tomos Williams and Willis Halaholo, secured the bonus-point win for Cardiff. But Gareth Anscombe, who slotted all the conversions, also kicked three penalties to add some gloss to the scoreline.
REPORT: Cheetahs cruelly denied by Ulster
In other results, the Dragons claimed a hard-earned 16-5 triumph over Zebre, Connacht clinched a stunning 33-20 victory against the Scarlets, Leinster lashed Edinburgh 31-17 and the Ospreys defeated Treviso 27-10.
Round 4 results:
Cardiff Blues 37 Munster 13
Dragons 16 Zebre 5
Connacht 33 Scarlets 20
Leinster 31 Edinburgh 7
Ospreys 27 Treviso 10
Kings 38 Glasgow Warriors 28
Cheetahs 39 Ulster 39
Photo: www.pro14rugby.org
