Holland: A home tie’s deserved
Cardiff Blues 13 Munster 23
MUNSTER captain Billy Holland says the Munster fans deserve a home semifinal in the Pro12 after they beat Cardiff Blues to keep up the pressure on the top two. Munster didn’t get in front until the 76th minute but a drop-goal from Rory Scannell was followed by Conor Oliver’s try to secure a crucial win. Rassie Erasmus’ side trailed 6-3 at half-time but with the wind at their backs in the second-half, the tide turned when Francis Saili touched down 11 minutes after the break. “Our goal is to get into the top four, in this group of games we have won four out of five with all of the internationals away. Our target was to get as many points as we could out of that,” said Holland. “We are aiming for a top four, if we get top two, brilliant, because we want to reward our fans. We want our fans to stay at home like the European quarter-final.” Munster don’t play again until March 25 when they travel to face Zebre before their attentions turn to Toulouse in the Champions Cup quarter-final. There’s a huge few weeks ahead for Munster in both competitions but it was crucial they started with victory over Cardiff Blues. “Cardiff are a quality side and they don’t give you anything easily. We made a few mistakes in their 22. We gave away a silly intercept,” said Holland. “But the boys kept believing which is great after last week. Conceding three tries in six minutes would have hurt most teams’ confidence. “At times I think we were nervous. There has been so much chopping and changing. “It’s a credit to the squad, and just guts.”