Munster 22

Dragons 20

GAVIN COOMBES CAME off the bench to rescue Munster and score two tries in the final 16 minutes to prevent a first ever loss to the Dragons in 14 visits to Cork.

The hard-earned win ends a dismal four-match losing run for Clayton McMillan’s but they rode their luck in a game played in difficult conditions.

Munster, having opted to play against the wind and rain, trailed 13-7 at the break and were lucky not to be further behind after a more composed Dragons made the most of what they created when they had the elements.

Munster, forced into a late change when JJ Hanrahan was ruled out to be replaced by Tony Butler, did not help their cause with some basic handling errors.

They fell behind after ten minutes when Dragons full-back Angus O’Brien landed a penalty from 40 metres. They pushed on from there and while Munster defended a couple of penalties to the right corner well, the Welsh kept pounding away and were rewarded when hooker Brodie Coghlan got over and O’Brien converted to make it 10-0 after 17 minutes.

The Newport side suffered a blow on the restart when flanker Harri Beddall was binned for taking out Thaakir Abrahams in the air but Munster failed to make anything of the penalty to the corner and did not score while they had the extra man.

Indeed Dragons increased their lead as Beddall returned with O’Brien adding a penalty from the 22 after 29 minutes.

But there was a reprieve for Munster three minutes later when a try from scrum-half Che Hope was scratched after an earlier infringement was spotted in midfield.

And Munster made the most of the let-off to dominate proceedings before the break and with debutant Sean Edogbo winning some good lineout ball they forced the penalties and got off the mark when Brian Gleeson squeezed over after a tapped effort. Butler added the conversion to cut the gap to six points at the interval.

Munster again failed to yield anything from a couple of penalties to the left corner, winning the ball cleanly but losing possession in the maul.

And Dragons made them pay after 53 minutes. Out-half Tinus de Beer raced 40 metres to collect his own garryowen before sending winger David Richards away to score under the posts. O’Brien’s conversion made it 20-7, leaving Munster with a mountain to climb to prevent a shock defeat.

They got back in the game after a superb 50:22 from scrumhalf Ethan Coughlan after another clean lineout take from Edogbo and Coombes, just on the field after Jean Kleyn was taken off for a HIA, managed to squeeze over to cut the gap to 20-12 with Butler’s conversion going across the goal from the right.

But Munster pushed on from there. Another penalty to the left corner, another good lineout take from Edogbo and Munster were patient, going phase after phase across the pitch before Coombes sniffed an opening and grounded the ball. This time Butler measured the conversion, again from the right, and cut the gap to 20-19 with 13 minutes remaining.

Sean Edogbo takes to the rain-lashed skies. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

They hit the front five minutes from time, wisely going for the posts with a penalty in front of goal inside the 22, with Butler making it 22-20.

But they were forced to endure a nervous when Butler, after they won a turnover penalty on the ten-metre line, kicked dead as he went for the left corner.

They had one more chance to seal the bonus point when Shane Daly delivered a relieving 50:22 but Munster were unable to capitalise and in the end were just relieved to get their first win in five games. 

Scorers: Munster: Tries: G Coombes (2), B Gleeson. Cons: T Butler (2 from 3). Pen: Butler (1 from 1).

Dragons: Tries: H Beddall, D Richards. Cons: A O’Brien (2 from 2). Pens: O’Brien ( 2 from 2).

Munster: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell (Diarmuid Kilgallen 43), Shane Daly; Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan (Paddy Patterson 71); Jeremy Loughman (Josh Wycherley 49), Diarmuid Barron (c) (Lee Barron 75), Michael Ala’alatoa (Oli Jager 49); Jean Kleyn (Gavin Coombes 56), Fineen Wycherley (Evan O’Connell 49); Seán Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn (Jack O’Donoghue 61), Brian Gleeson.

Dragons: Angus O’Brien (cc); David Richards, Fine Inisi, Aneurin Owen, Rio Dyer; Tinus de Beer (Cai Evans 58), Che Hope (Rhodri Williams 67); Rodrigo Martinez (Jordan Morris 75), Brodie Coghlan (Oli Burrows 66), Robert Hunt (Cebo Dlamini 75); Levi Douglas (Seb Davies 49), Ben Carter (cc); Harri Keddie (Shane Lewis-Hughes 61), Harry Beddall (Harri Ackerman 79), Aaron Wainwright.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).

Written by John Fallon and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.