Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus once again noted, ‘it wasn’t pretty, but again the side showed guts’, in referring to this evening’s performance and the four points secured in sunny Newport.
A dominant scrum was the difference in today’s hard-fought GUINNESS PRO12 round 3 encounter that saw Munster hold on for a 20-16 victory.
Both sides were forced to make changes to their matchday squads, with Keith Earls withdrawn after reporting a tight hamstring, while Dragons out-half Nick MacLeod sustained an ankle injury in the warm-up.
Colm O’Shea came in at number 12 for his first start for the province with Dan Goggin switching back to outside centre, and Cian Bohane was added to the bench. Indeed, it was Bohane’s second half try that helped Munster to their second successive win in Wales – the first time they have achieved that feat since November 2014.
In looking to pin the Dragons back, Munster applied the pressure early on, and although on the front foot the men in red were unable to capitalise further with the sides level (10-all) at half-time.
Despite controlling the game, Rassie Erasmus’ charges were unable to take the opportunities from superior possession and as simple errors began creeping in, the men of Gwent fought their way back.
As strong ball-carrying and the scrum were proving most effective, it was the set piece that provided the first opportunity for points with Tyler Bleyendaal kicking a successful penalty after 10 minutes.
However, indiscipline was also a factor during that first quarter and just minutes later, Dragons out-half Angus O’Brien replied off the kicking tee after Munster were penalised for not releasing the player.
It was second row Jean Kleyn who powered over for the opening try folllowing a phase of direct play in the Welshmen’s 22. Conor Murray passed to CJ Stander who popped the ball to his Kleyn, and with a gap in the defence, the 6ft 8in lock, who was making his first start for Munster, charged for the line. Bleyendaal added the simple conversion for a 10-3 lead.
The Dragons responded just after the half hour mark when Hallom Amos ran in an intercept try after he picked off O’Shea’s attempted pass to Goggin, and with O’Brien kicking the extras there was nothing to separate the sides come the half-time whistle.
Early in to the second period the out-halves exchanged further penalties, each awarded at the breakdown, before O’Brien gave the hosts the lead with a successful 40-metre kick after Munster were penalised for going off their feet.
The province produced a second try off the back of a well-worked move that saw Murray make the initial pass inside to Ronan O’Mahony who flashed it out wide to Darren Sweetnam. In an effort to run deeper inside the goal-line, a lapse in concentration saw the Corkman spill the ball backwards and fortunately Bohane was on hand to react quickest for the crucial five-pointer.
The conversion was added by Bleyendaal and the province moved ahead by four points (20-16) with 25 minutes remaining.
Roared on by their passionate home support, the Dragons mounted a final attack in the dying minutes, however the Munster defence held firm and denied the Welsh region any return for their efforts.
Prop John Ryan was deservedly named the man-of-the-match after his stand-out performance. Three Academy players featured on the day for Munster, with Goggin starting and Brian Scott and Conor Oliver on the bench.
Kleyn, on making his first start, scored his first try for the province, as did Bohane, while scrum half Murray, who made his return to provincial action, played the full 80 minutes in what was his first appearance at Rodney Parade in six years.
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