Blog Banner

Jenkins disappointed after another narrow defeat

First Team News | 1st April 2024


Ellis Jenkins admitted to an ‘overriding feeling of disappointment’ not to come away from Limerick with a victory after yet another closely contested match that ended in a narrow defeat.

The Blues & Blacks put in a spirited display against Munster and led in the second half after Thomas Young’s try, but eventually fell to a 20-15 loss, which saw them pick up a losing bonus point for the 8th time this season.

Jenkins was again pleased with the overall performance, but believes Cardiff missed some key opportunities that could have secured a famous win.

“It's a disappointment to be honest,” said Jenkins. “We’ve had a couple of those games that have gone right down the wire and it's probably one we've had a lot of chances particularly at the end. We've done everything except get over the line.

“It’s great that we're in these games and we're pushing them but a bonus point is a consolation but it's one we think we could have won.

“It was fast, it was quite open, we tried to move the ball but we weren't very accurate in the first half. 

“We knew that Munster wouldn't kick the ball very often. We looked into that in a week and we knew that we were going to get a lot of transition and try and come alive off it.

“We weren't probably as accurate as we would like to have been. Still, it was strange, I think it was 0-0 after 30 minutes. There's not many games I've been in that are 0-0 after that long and you do that much running, with that many line breaks, that much open play, so I'm sure it was a good one to watch.

“But like I said, it's an overriding feeling of disappointment. It's one that we feel could have gone a little bit differently."

Jenkins formed a back row with Mackenzie Martin and Alex Mann and believes the two young Wales internationals have a very bright future in the game and keeping up with them is a challenge but one he enjoys.

“Manny's 22, Macka’s 20 and I’m the 30-year-old sat in the middle of them, but I've enjoyed playing with them.

“They're both very different players, both with a lot of potential and I've enjoyed it, it keeps me young, trying to keep up with them is a challenge, but I've enjoyed it, and hopefully they'd say the same.

Cardiff have a fortnight break and aren’t back in action until they face Ulster at Ravenhill on Friday, 19th April.

The squad will rest up after two bruising away encounters against Glasgow and Munster before targeting the match against the Belfast side, with Jenkins hoping they can finally get over the line.

“We'd like to come away from one of these away trips with a win, if I'm honest,” added Jenkins.

“We've got a couple of days off now, and there’s some beaten up boys.

“We've had a bruising encounter away at Glasgow last week, another one today, so the boys will patch themselves up, recover as well as we can and then we'll look towards Ulster.

“It doesn't get any easier to go Ravenhill and play. Like I said, we've gone to Glasgow, we've gone to Munster and we've been in the games so we'd like to finish on the right end of one of those results if we can.”