Munster maintain top-four drive with bonus-point win against Cardiff

With many of their URC play-off rivals not in action until tomorrow, this was a chance for Munster to lay down a marker early in the weekend.

And while it wasn't perfect from Johann van Graan's side, they got the job done, their bonus-point 42-21 win against Cardiff seeing them climb up above the Stormers into second place, for the time being at least, and put an extra bit of heat on the Sharks and Ulster behind them.

Whatever happens between now and their Round 18 meeting with Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, a home quarter-final is now in Munster's hands. Win against Leinster in May, and a top four finish is theirs.

It would mean at least one more Thomond Park outing for Van Graan before he departs to Bath this summer, but tonight he got to say goodbye to Cork, in what was his last outing as Munster boss at Musgrave Park.

With so little between the second and eighth in the table, the head coach was taking no chances with his team selection, even ahead of a Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse to come next Saturday.

Peter O'Mahony, Simon Zebo and Conor Murray all came back into the lineup following last week's vital win against Ulster, while Mike Haley, Chris Farrell and Jack O'Donoghue were among the frontline players who stayed in the starting XV.

And the strength of the lineup ultimately proved the difference. At times in the first half Munster looked cold, and feeling the impact of four bruising weeks against Leinster, Exeter and Ulster.

They conceded two tries in a sloppy first quarter, but always looked threatening with the ball in their hands, moving the ball and taking risks.

Ben Healy and Haley were a constant nuisance to the Cardiff defence, and shared 22 of the 27 points in the first half, with Haley's