CELTIC LEAGUE Cardiff 30 Munster 20: It is likely to be a fretful few days for Munster coach Alan Gaffney as he waits to hear the full extent of Christian Cullen's latest shoulder injury. As if losing for a second year in succession in the Celtic League at the Arms Park on Saturday evening wasn't bad enough, the injury to his full back was an even bigger kick in the guts.
Cullen was upended in a heavy tackle on halfway in a first period that the Munster players would rather wish to forget. With both sides missing a handful of international players the visitors, seeking to close the eight-point gap on the Ospreys at the top of the table, were still able to start the game with 11 full caps yet took a full 40 minutes to reach the home team's 22-metre line. And that was with the benefit of a huge wind at their backs.
You got the distinct impression from this match that Munster's sights are already fixed on their Heineken European Cup quarter-final against Biarritz Olympique in San Sebastian in a few weeks.
Whatever it was, they were outplayed by a Cardiff team that has been down on its luck for the majority of this season and who are trying to claw their way into contention for a Celtic League play-off place to reach next season's European Cup.
It wasn't just their hunger that enabled them to break a run of five successive home defeats, the return of the Wales outhalf Nicky Robinson finally gave them some direction at the end of a rather rudderless season.
Munster's biggest concern after this game, though, is Cullen. He is due to have a scan on his left shoulder today and everyone in the province's camp is hoping that any damage is minimal.
"The first thoughts were that he had damaged the ligaments which would have been a disaster. But the problem eased and now it might just be nerve damage," said Gaffney.
"If it is only nerve damage then he should be back to full power in a couple of days. If it's ligaments then it could be a long time."
Whatever the outcome it puts a doubt over Cullen's availability for the Biarritz match, which would be a huge blow for Munster. He may not be the turbo-charged, try-scoring machine he used to be for the All Blacks, but Cullen still provides the greatest threat behind the scrum that Munster can muster.
Shaun Payne took over at the back when Cullen departed and the man of many parts is the likely person to take over the number 15 jersey. That would in turn mean John Kelly moving into the centre to partner the fit-again Rob Henderson and Paul Devlin playing on the wing.
Is that going to frighten a Biarritz team that ran in 20 tries in their six pool games compared to Munster's 12?
Munster's second-half revival as they faced into icy rain and sleet at least ensured they left with some respectability, most of which was down to the cajoling of Alan Quinlan when he entered the fray at half-time. He provided the vim, vigour and sense of urgency that had been missing throughout the first half.
The result was two trademark close-range lineout tries for Marcus Horan and Frankie Sheahan, both when Cardiff were reduced to 14 men, and the chance of anything from a bonus point to a victory.
In the end, a try from a misguided Cardiff throw to the tail by Kort Schubert, the second of the night for the American international, threw a spanner into the works and Lee Thomas's wide-angled penalty, after Quinlan had given away an extra 10 metres for some afters, meant there would be nothing taken from the game.
CARDIFF: N Macleod; D Dewdney, T Davies, L Thomas, C Morgan; N Robinson, R Powell; M Jones, G Williams, B Evans; C Quinnell, D Jones; M Molitika, R Sowden-Taylor, K Schubert. Replacements: N Llewellyn for M Jones (79 mins), J Vaughton for Robinson (80 mins), R Thomas for Williams (80 mins). Yellow Cards: L Thomas (59 mins) , R Sowden-Taylor (73 mins).
MUNSTER: C Cullen; J Kelly, R Henderson, S Payne, A Horgan; P Burke, M Prendergast; M Horan, F Sheahan, G McIlwham, T Bowman, T Hogan, J Williams, D Wallace, S Keogh. Replacements: P Devlin for Kelly (18 to 20 mins), Devlin for Cullen (37 mins), A Quinlan for Bowman (41), E Reddan for Prendergast (45 mins), J Holland for Henderson (57 mins).
Referee: M Hall (Scotland).
