Munster kick Dragons out of Cup

Newport Gwent Dragons 8 Munster 24

Ronan O’Gara did his talking on the pitch as Munster knocked Newport Gwent Dragons out of the Heineken Cup.

The Dragons have now lost all their three games in the competition, while Munster are still chasing group leaders Sale for the automatic qualifying spot.

Munster’s team talk was effectively done for them, with suggestions Ireland fly-half O’Gara could be put off his game and be easily intimidated.

Munster responded by giving the Welsh team a lesson in winning the ball as they dominated possession and striking through their pack – still formidable despite being considered ageing.

O'Gara kicked 11 points from two penalties, a drop goal and conversion.

Skipper Anthony Foley shrugged off the jeers by leading from the front and pouncing for the crucial try five minutes from the interval, finishing off a series of drives by his fellow forwards.

At that stage, the Dragons were down to 14 men, when their Tongan centre, Sion Tuipulotu, was harshly yellow-carded for going over the top when he seemed to slip.

Mossie Lawlor and O’Gara both dropped first-half goals, O’Gara landing two penalties as well, and the Dragons’ only reply being an injury-time penalty by Craig Warlow.

The Dragons continued to battle hard in the second half, defending strongly to keep the Munster men out, but they were broken for a second time after 60 minutes when a typical Munster driving line-out scattered them and prop Marcus Horan, pounced for the try, which O’Gara converted.

The Dragons refused to lie down and camped inside the Munster 22, but continued to waste opportunities until, with almost the last move of the match deep into injury time, they were finally rewarded with a try by young winger Gareth Chapman.

They also denied Munster the bonus point which Sale got at the ground, which could prove costly in deciding the eventual group winners.