Cardiff aim to repeat Arms Park heroics at Munster

Josh McNally joined Cardiff from Bath in 2024

United Rugby Championship: Munster v Cardiff

Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick Date: Saturday, 4 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Cardiff intend to show the same fight that stunned Munster at the Arms Park when bidding to repeat the trick in Limerick.

The Blue and Blacks travel to Thomond Park in round two of the United Rugby Championship (URC) after starting with a 33-20 victory against Lions.

Cardiff have been strong on home soil in recent times but struggled on their travels in 2024-25, with their only three away successes coming against Welsh rivals.

They have not won in Ireland since beating Connacht 17-15 in September 2017 and are without a success in 11 previous visits to Thomond Park, although they have won in Cork.

Cardiff will need to hit the heights of their performance in April's 26-21 win against Munster in the Welsh capital if they are to back up their victory against Lions.

"The game here against them was one of our best performances and atmospheres," said lock Josh McNally.

"To win in that manner put us in the play-off race and was a huge part of our season, we took huge confidence from that.

"We are really excited to test ourselves and a big message this week has been that we have not won outside of Wales for a while.

"The biggest thing we had against Munster last season was our fight. We were physical, didn't do anything too flash but really fronted up and challenged them.

"There's no harder place to go than Ireland but we will look to match them physically and see where that gets us after a great week."

Cardiff's away form not only cost them in the Challenge Cup, when defeats to Lyon and Perpignan led to them going out at Connacht in the last 16, but scuppered their play-off bid.

Scarlets pipped them to eighth place by a single point with the Blue and Blacks finishing with a tally of 42 points in Wales - 27 at the Arms Park plus bonus-point wins at Scarlets, Dragons and then Ospreys at Judgement Day - and just five on their trips.

"That's where you catch the rest of the pack, or get away from them," said McNally.

"We target all of our home games to get results and it's going to be what we pick up away that determines how we progress from last year."

Cardiff make four changes to the XV that beat the Lions with Rory Jennings coming in for the suspended Ben Thomas at inside centre.

Cam Winnett, who played all 18 URC games last season, misses out due to a knock so Jacob Betham starts at full-back.

Danny Southworth gets the nod at loose-head prop and Dan Thomas at open-side flanker, with Sam Wainwright poised for a Cardiff debut from the bench after his move from Scarlets.

Munster make six changes to the side that won 34-21 against Scarlets in Llanelli.

Full-back Ben O'Connor, fly-half Jack Crowley and scrum-half Ethan Coughlan start along with an entirely new back row of Tom Ahern, Ruadhan Quinn and Gavin Coombes.

How they line up

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.

Referee: Griffin Colby (SARU)

Assistant referees: Keane Davison, Shane Gaughan (IRFU)

TMO: Chris Allison (SARU)