Liam Belcher: Cardiff showed fight in Munster loss

Cardiff hooker Liam Belcher praised his side’s determination after they collected two bonus points in a narrow defeat to Munster at Thomond Park.

The Blue & Blacks led for much of the contest in Limerick but looked set to leave empty-handed until Tom Bowen completed his second-half hat-trick, ensuring Cardiff secured valuable points despite the loss.

Reflecting on the performance, Belcher admitted it was a frustrating result but emphasised the resilience shown by his teammates.

“Yeah, it’s a hard one. I thought we did well and we stuck in the fight that we spoke about through the week,” he told the club's official website.

“Obviously we got two points from it which is going to be key at the end of the season. I can’t fault the boys’ effort.”

Belcher highlighted discipline as a key factor in the outcome, acknowledging that errors gave Munster opportunities to edge ahead.

“The boys stepped up really well. A few discipline issues cost us some field position, especially in that weather, and to be fair Munster took their chances,” he added.

Cardiff are positioned fifth in the United Rugby championship table with a solitary win from two games.