Munster hold off Dragons

Munster 15 – 7 Newport Gwent Dragons

The Dragons had hinted at pulling off a shock win in Cork after leading at half-time through Aled Thomas’s try.

However, Jamie Ringer and Michael Owen were both sent to the sin bin in quick succession and the 13-man Dragons could not hold out as Donncha O’Callaghan and Denis Leamy both drove over.

The weight of Munster eventually told on a young Dragons side and Ronan O’Gara’s conversion even denied Turner’s men the compensation of a losing bonus point that their performance deserved.

It was a brave display from a second-string Dragons side in which Michael Owen was the only recognised international. Yet while the Dragons may have lacked bite they were never found wanting for passion and after conceding an early O’Gara penalty, they stunned the home crowd with the game’s opening try, through Thomas.

The young outside half was handed a start ahead of Ceri Sweeney and repaid Turner’s faith, squeezing over for a first half try and adding the conversion. Yet Munster flexed their muscles and with both Ringer and Owen out of play the Irish pressure mounted and the depleted Dragons ran out of gas.

Scorers
Munster: Tries: D O’Callaghan, D Leamy. Con: R O’Gara. Pen: R O’Gara
Dragons: Try: A Thomas. Con: A Thomas