Munster took their unbeaten pre-season form into their first game of the new Magners League campaign on Saturday as, aided by the presence of back-line talismen Paul Warwick and Rua Tipoki, they beat the Llanelli Scarlets in Cork.
Warwick, who signed from Connacht during the summer, scored the game’s opening try and added two conversions and four penalties in a man of the match performance. Llanelli had hoped that youth would do the trick for them with Rhys Priestland handed his debut but it was his opposite number Warwick who took the plaudits.
The 20-year-old Priestland landed an early penalty but Munster, who included other new signings in Kieran Lewis, Tipoki and Niall Ronan, soon found their rhythm with Warwick dictating the pace from number 10.
Tipoki was in the middle of Munster’s best move of the first half when he made 20 yards from a Warwick pass to set up his forwards. Anthony Foley, Mick O’Driscoll and Billy Holland, an Academy player with a burgeoning future, battered at the Llanelli line and the visitors were caught flat when Warwick looped back in to finish the move with a great try.
The Australian converted his own try but Llanelli were profiting at lineout time and aside from securing possession from their own throws, they were also pilfering Munster’s and a penalty from Priestland after 38 minutes looked to have a much better gloss on the half-time score. Munster were not done however and there was still time for one last foray up the field which ended with Warwick kicking a penalty for a 10-6 interval lead.
Munster added their second try just after the resumption. Tipoki darted through two flailing tackles and with Anthony Horgan supporting at pace on a fantastic line, he popped the pass for the winger to go over under the posts.
Llanelli’s cause was not helped minutes later when Warwick landed another penalty, eventually cancelled out after 62 minutes with Priestland’s third penalty of the night.
The Scarlets were still full of fight nonetheless and they responded brilliantly to the sustained Munster pressure, their determination yielding precious dividend after 64 minutes. Taking full advantage of the disarray in the Munster line, Matthew Watkins showed great vision when kicking into space and he followed up to gather possession and go over for his side’s only try.
Priestland added the conversion but Warwick responded for Munster with a penalty to put some distance between the sides. Munster found the extra gear they needed for the closing minutes and a fourth penalty from Warwick, with two minutes remaining, saw them continue where they left off last season when they ended the campaign with four successive wins.
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