Matthew Pewtner scored the only try of the game yet it was not enough for the Dragons to get the better of the Irish giants in Round 9 of the RaboDirect PRO12. Lyn Jones’ side led 14-12 with less than seven minutes remaining before two late penalties from fly-half Ian Keatley saw Munster head home with the spoils.
The Dragons twice looked set to back up their stunning success at Glasgow with another big win but Keatley’s fifth and sixth penalties after 73 and 76 minutes meant they had to settle for just a losing bonus point.
The Dragons led 6-3 at half-time through Jason Tovey’s boot, though the advantage could have been greater had the former Blues playmaker not pulled one penalty wide and narrowly missed with a drop goal.
Munster have found Rodney Parade far from fruitful in recent years, having lost three of their last four visits, and got little change once again from the Dragons’ defence. The visitors were fortunate to end the half with all 15 players on the field after flanker Billy Holland’s high-tackle on Pewtner and No8 James Coughlan’s cynical foul at the breakdown as the Dragons pressed hard for a fifth win of the campaign.
That scenario looked even more likely when Pewtner crossed for his second try in three games just three minutes after the break. Ross Wardle and Cory Hill made headway before Netani Talei’s pass saw Pewtner take the Dragons two scores clear.
The hosts could, and perhaps should, have put the game beyond Munster when Keith Earls saw yellow on 56 minutes but they couldn’t add to their tally in his absence and Keatley cut the cap to 11-9 with two penalties either side of the centre’s sin binning.
Hill was then yellow carded to hand the momentum back to Munster and Keatley’s fourth strike had the Dragons behind for the first time after 67 minutes. Tovey’s drop goal saw his side lead once more with 10 minutes left but Keatley proved Munster’s hero late on.
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