Mossy Lawler says Munster will have their guard up when they host an emboldened Cardiff in their first home game of the season this Saturday.
This week's game at Thomond Park will be the only Round 2 match between sides who won on the opening weekend, with Munster securing a bonus-point win away to Scarlets, while Cardiff also picked up maximum points, defeating the Lions 33-20 at the Arms Park.
Cardiff’s win on the opening day came after a chaotic build-up to the season, where head coach Matt Sherratt stepped down just six days before their first fixture, joining Steve Tandy’s backroom team at Wales.
It’s been a rollercoaster year for Cardiff, who went into administration in April, while there is also real uncertainty around the future of Welsh regional rugby, as the WRU decide whether or not to cut the number of professional teams next season.
Rather than fold after Sherratt’s departure, Cardiff impressed under interim head coach Corniel van Zyl last week, and Lawler says he expects a fired-up Welsh side to come to Thomond Park on Saturday.
"We know how dangerous Cardiff are," Lawler (below) said.
"They put us away last year so they are coming to Thomond Park full of confidence.
"Yes they have lost Matt [Sherratt] but you can see the imprint he has had on the team what he will bring to Wales, but Cardiff are a very, very dangerous outfit.
"They’re really comfortable in attack, really comfortable with ball in hand and I suppose another layer they have added is their attacking kicking game as well.
"From a defensive point of view we have done a lot of work during the week and we are on our full guard in relation to how dangerous we know this team is."
Having faced another embattled side in Scarlets last week, Lawler says they have been bracing themselves for an emotional response.
"It is not just the club, it is individuals with their livelihoods as well, so when you are fighting for a bigger cause like that you are always going to be a dangerous team.
"We faced it last week against the Scarlets as well, but we named it early in the week and we understood what threat that brings, so we are under no illusions about how tough this weekend is going to be," the province’s skills coach added.
JJ Hanrahan’s Thomond Park homecoming may have to be put on hold, after the out-half suffered a concussion in the 34-21 win in Llanelli.
Hanrahan (below) was replaced by Jack Crowley at half-time on Saturday, and is now following the return to play protocols.
Both out-halves played their part in an impressive victory, with Munster being the only side to win away from home in Round 1.
The Munster management, however, have identified one big area of improvement.
"We were just undisciplined," he said.
"We gave away 14 penalties which is not good enough if we are expected to go on and win bigger games as the year goes on and I suppose just a little bit of game management.
"We focused particularly on that 60-minute mark where we let them back into the game for five or ten minutes but I thought we closed the game out really well and a really pleasing result and a good start to the season.
"A lot of positives come out of the game. A lot of firsts, obviously with the celebration of Niall's 200 caps. We had two new cappers in Dan [Kelly] and Bart [Conor Bartley] and obviously first captaincy for Craig Casey as well.
"Obviously to win away from home, the only team to do that over the weekend and take a bonus point as well with it was very pleasing."
