A last-gasp Gavin Coombes try secured a vital bonus-point win for Munster over Scarlets in incredibly difficult conditions at an extremely blustery Thomond Park on Saturday evening.
Academy man Jack O’Sullivan scored his first Munster try to give the province a 10-3 half-time lead with tries from Billy Holland and Coombes (two) clinching the bonus point.
Dan Jones kicked Scarlets into an early lead after Munster were pinged at the breakdown but Munster levelled matters through a JJ Hanrahan penalty after 23 minutes following a period of intense pressure.
Scarlets were down to 14 when Sam Lousi was shown a red card for throwing two punches and Munster took advantage almost immediately. O’Sullivan crossed from close range for his first Munster try after 35 minutes after another big spell of pressure with Hanrahan’s conversion making it 10-3 to the hosts.
Munster were in the ascendancy from the start of the second half against the 14 men and Holland sniped down the blindside after a rolling maul. Hanrahan was unable to convert from the touchline and Munster led 15-3.
A Munster high tackle gave Scarlets the chance to hit back as the visitors kicked to the corner and replacement prop Javan Sebastian managed to ground with Jones converting to make it 15-10.
Scarlets were down to 13 for the final 10 minutes when Tevita Ratuva’s dangerous tackle on John Hodnett yielded a yellow card.
Coombes scored his first Munster try after 72 minutes when a maul was stopped just short but the West Cork man managed to score from close range. Hanrahan slotted over the touchline conversion for a 22-10 lead with eight minutes to find the bonus-point try.
Darren Sweetnam very nearly scored it in the left corner but was adjudged to have knocked on but Munster kept pushing and after a series of scrums, they finally crossed with Coombes again finishing from close range for the vital fourth try.
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Hooker Kevin O’Byrne was awarded Player of the Match.
Three Academy players featured for Munster, Jack O’Sullivan, Diarmuid Barron and John Hodnett.
Jack O’Sullivan and Gavin Coombes both scored their first tries for Munster.
Munster move to within two points of Conference B leaders Edinburgh and are now eight points ahead of third-placed Scarlets.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin (Rory Scannell, 70), Darren Sweetnam; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey (Nick McCarthy, 74); James Cronin (Jeremy Loughman, 57), Kevin O’Byrne (Diarmuid Barron, 74), Stephen Archer (John Ryan, 57); Fineen Wycherley (Gavin Coombes, 35-40 & 67), Billy Holland (C); Arno Botha, Chris Cloete (John Hodnett, 62), Jack O’Sullivan (Tommy O’Donnell, 66).