Jamie Ringer and Michael Owen were both sent to the sin bin in quick succession leaving the Dragons powerless against Munster’s two man advantage. Donncha O’Callaghan and Denis Leamy both drove over as the Dragons were unable to hold the growing Munster tide.
The weight of Munster eventually told on a young Dragons side and Ronan O’Gara’s conversion even denied Turner’s men the compensation of a losing bonus point that their performance deserved.
It was a brave display from a second-string Dragons side in which Michael Owen was the only recognised international. Yet while the Dragons may have lacked bite they were never found wanting for passion and after conceding an early O’Gara penalty, they stunned the home crowd with the game’s opening try, through Thomas.
The young outside half was handed a start ahead of Ceri Sweeney and repaid Turner’s faith, squeezing over for a first half try and adding the conversion. Yet Munster flexed their muscles and with both Ringer and Owen out of play the Irish pressure mounted and the depleted Dragons ran out of gas.
