MUNSTER'S hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the European Cu received a severe setback, if not a terminal blow, at the Arms Park last night when they lost to Cardiff.

In the end the interprovincial champions lost by 30 margin and if that does not do full justice to the Munster challenge, especially vibrant in the first half, Cardiff had the power forward a vast and crucial superiority in the scrums in the second half and the pace and the power behind the scrum.

Munster scored first with a superb try after three minutes by Brian Begley and that set the tone for a hectic 40 minutes, as the lead changed hands several times. With half time approaching Munster led 18-17 and looked likely to add to the lead as they had Cardiff pinned down under their posts.

Then after Cardiff cleared to near halfway, Munster lost possession at a line out and scrum half Robert Howley, the game's outstanding player, made a break, kicked through and after Richard Wallace beat Howley to the ball on the line, unfortunately Wallace failed to kick it dead, and Howley got a crucial try. Jonathan Davies converted and Cardiff, instead being behind at the break, turned round 24-18 in front.

"That try was a real killer for us," said Munster coach Jerry Holland. "Instead of turning round with a lead we were six behind. We had played very well and were really getting into a rhythm."

But scrummaging supremacy and a turn over of possession had accounted for two of those first half Cardiff tries. Yet Munster had reason to hope at the interval.

Begley's early try, another by Foley converted by Begley and penalties from Killian Keane and Begley had accounted for Munster's first half points. Howley (two), Simon Hill and Hemi Taylor scored Cardiff's tries in the first half and Davies had converted two to give Cardiff that six point interval lead.

Bunt within 12 minutes of the restart the match was over as Cardiff scored three tries, two the direct result of shoving Munster back over their own line in the scrum. And the Munster scrum certainly disintegrated in that second half.

"We had major problems in the scrum in the second half and were under constant pressure. Perhaps it was the task of trying to contain. We had done a lot of tackling and they were bigger and stronger than us," said Holland. "I think the match last Saturday and the task of containing such a big and physical side took their toll."

They certainly did as Munster battled to get out of their own half for most of the second period. They had done well in the line out in the first half through Gabriel Fulcher, Mick Galwey and Ben Cronin and worked extremely hard in the loose. If the scrum was never comfortable, the chronic weakness later so ruthlessly exposed was evident.

With a scrum half of the calibre of Howley and a back row of Hemi Taylor, Emyr Lewis and Mark Bennett, Cardiff were well equipped to exploit it. It is significant that Howley and Lewis both scored three tries. Munster just could not offer the defensive screen.

Keane had played especially well in the first half and indeed throughout. Munster scorned a few penalty chances in the second half and also twice spilled ball with tries likely. But they did contain Cardiff from the 52nd minute to the 77th when before Cardiff stretched their 36-18 lead to 48-18.

"We can lift our game against Wasps on Saturday," said Holland. "We will be at Thomond Park and Cardiff will be in Toulouse. The defeat is a setback but we are not by any means out of the competition. We also hope to have David Corkery and Eddie Halvey available to us on Saturday."

Munster will need that accomplished pair. Cardiff have certainly inflicted damage to Irish provinces Euopean hopes. They beat Leinster in the semi final last year and Ulster in the group stages. Last night completed a destructive hat trick.