A youthful Munster side showed plenty of character as they came from 19-5 down at half-time to be within eight minutes of victory at Rodney Parade. However, a late surge – including a 75th minute try from Ross Wardle – saw the Dragons finish on top.
Ross Wardle’s decisive try came almost immediately after it looked like a Johne Murphy second touchdown of the night, converted by Ian Keatley, had edged Munster 24-22 in front.
From the restart, Murphy kicked back downfield but Toby Faletau gathered and ran it back, launching a move that ended with centre Wardle crossing the whitewash.
Tom Prydie added a further penalty to leave Munster requiring a converted try to win and though they tried valiantly the home defence held firm in front of over 7,500 spectators.
Rob Penney’s young charges trailed 19-5 at the break and then went further behind when Prydie landed a 48th minute penalty.
To their credit they came roaring back and tries from Ronan O’Mahony, who made an impressive debut, replacement CJ Stander and then Murphy saw them edge in front before Warle and Prydie denied them at the death.
As this round 21 encounter headed for the hour mark you might have given Munster little chance of salvaging anything as they trailed 22-5.
However, in the elapsed time, they had shown enough to suggest that if they could just cut out the errors then respectability if not salvation could be at hand – and so it proved.
It started when debutant winger O’Mahony, who had shown good pace all evening, skipped in on the left and the province’s revival continued with a try from South African Stander six minutes later.
That score heralded a try-line brawl, the result of which was a harsh yellow card for Damien Varley and a penalty restart to the Dragons after Keatley had kicked the conversion.
Reduced to 14 men for the second time in the game, the inexperienced Munster line-up might have been expected to wilt but they did not. They broke up a Dragons attack on halfway and the lively Murphy raced in under the posts, Keatley’s conversion edging them two points in front.
From the restart Murphy cleared long downfield but into the arms of Faletau. The Welsh international carried strong back into the Munster 22 and two phases later Wardle was dotting down in the Bisley corner.
Prydie landed a further penalty to earn his side some extra breathing space and it ended with Munster once again pressing for a score.
Prydie had kicked the hosts into a three-point lead at the start before Paddy Butler got himself on the end of a perfectly weighted Keatley cross-field kick to score in almost the exact spot that Wardle would score the winner.
But far too often Munster squandered good approach work with errors that allowed the Dragons relieve the pressure. Nor did it help that Prydie was on song, his three first half penalties and conversion of Steffan Jones’ try leaving Munster with a mountain to climb in the second half.
To their credit they went about that ascent impressively, but had to settle in the end for two bonus points.
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