Having misplaced six of their previous eight video games and suffered the huge blow of a pool-stage Champions Cup exit final weekend, there was little within the opening exchanges to recommend a change in Munster’s fortunes.
Whereas the hosts did begin taking part in into the wind, they may get little buy early within the recreation and Dragons have been good worth for the13-0 lead they constructed throughout the primary half hour of play.
Skilled full-back Angus O’Brien kicked a pair of penalties both aspect of hooker Brodie Coghlan’s attempt from the again of a menacing maul.
Dragons have been unflustered even by the yellow card proven to Harry Beddall for taking out Thaakir Abrahams within the air and, after the flanker’s return from his Nineteenth-minute yellow card, the guests thought that they had prolonged their lead additional.
Scrum-half Che Hope did excellently to win the race to David Richards’ kick forward however, upon overview, it was dominated that the Munster provider had obtained a knee to floor simply previous to Beddall’s strip.
That selections loomed all of the bigger when, simply 90 seconds earlier than the interval, Munster’s Springbok lock Jean Kleyn muscled over from shut vary.
There was the same momentum swing to start out the second half when Munster’s maul regarded to place the stress on the Dragons within the nook. With a rating seeming seemingly, as an alternative the ball popped out and Rio Dyer gathered earlier than racing away from hazard.
Simply three minutes later, Dragons made the a lot of the escape with a well-worked attempt from deep as Tinus de Beer chased and caught his personal kick earlier than placing Richards throughout.
Main 20-7 with 28 minutes remaining, Dragons’ could have felt a primary league win outdoors of Wales since October 2021 was there for the taking.
However with Coombes rising from the bench as a alternative for Kleyn, it was Munster who as an alternative ended their very own undesirable winless streak.
The 28-year-old was maybe lucky that Hollie Davidson’s on-field choice had been to award a attempt when replays of the grounding of his first rating within the 57th minute appeared inconclusive.
There was little doubt about his second, nonetheless, from equally shut vary with the rating and subsequent conversion bringing Munster again inside a degree with quarter-hour to go.
The comeback was full 10 minutes later as Tony Butler’s easy penalty from in entrance of the posts gave Munster their first lead of the sport.
Twice Munster would take goal for the nook within the closing phases however one effort was kicked lifeless whereas a second, from an excellent 50:22, led solely to a line-out that noticed them held up over the road.
As a substitute, 4 factors can be their reward from an evening when Clayton McMillan’s aspect once more did not persuade.
