Munster too strong for Scarlets

A STRONG defensive display earned Munster an opening Guinness Pro12 victory over a Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets.

Scarlets had much more of the possession and territory but Munster emerged winners by two tries to one.

The Irish side’s tries came from prop James Cronin and wing Ronan O’Mahony with outside-half Tyler Bleyendaal kicking 10 points and Ian Keatley adding a penalty in the 23-13 victory.

Scrum-half Gareth Davies claimed Scarlets’ only try with outside-half Rhys Patchell kicking eight points.

Patchell, South African prop Werner Kruger and 19-year-old number eight Josh Macleod all made their debut for Scarlets with Wales centre Jonathan Davies coming off the bench in the second half after rejoining from Clermont Auvergne.

Centre Dan Goggin made his first start for Munster, who also included full-back Simon Zebo and flanker Tommy O’Donnell.

Despite a wealth of possession for Scarlets and a lot of mistakes from Munster at line-outs and restarts, it was the Irish side who went in at half-time with a 17-10 lead.

Bleyendaal missed a relatively easy penalty attempt at the start of the second half, while Patchell found the target with his own penalty shot on 48 minutes to reduce the deficit to four points. On 54 minutes Bleyendaal restored his side’s seven-point lead with his second penalty kick.

And any chance Scarlets had of getting back in the game seemed to go when a Scarlets penalty was reversed after lock Lewis Rawlins dropped the shoulder at a ruck. Keatley stepped up to kick the long range penalty to extent Munster’s lead to 10 points.

In the final minute Patchell missed a penalty which if he had converted it would have earned Scarlets a bonus point.