Simon Zebo provided the star quality as an under-construction Munster side dismantled the Newport-Gwent Dragons 33-13 at Thomond Park. Zebo scored one try and created two others for Ian Keatley and Niall Ronan while Conor Murray and Tommy O’Donnell also crossed for the Munstermen who have now won three of their four opening RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures. The Dragons only found their way over the line once in the shape of full-back Dan Evans but his back-three partner Tom Prydie suffered a bad day with the boot, hitting just one of his three attempts before Lewis Robling took over his duties. The game was preceded by a minute’s silence for Nevin Spence and his brother Graham and father Noel who passed away in a tragic farming accident last Saturday. Both sides came into the game having tasted defeat in the last round and consequently both head coaches had named much-changed sides. But it was the eight new faces in Rob Penney’s starting XV which gelled the quickest and after 90 seconds they were on the scoreboard. Zebo, in his first league start of the season, combined with captain Doug Howlett on the left wing and passed on to Keatley for a try. With Ronan O’Gara’s conversion, the home side were ahead 7-0 but they soon doubled that with another converted try for Ronan – in his first game back in nine months from a knee injury. The openside flanker benefited from Zebo’s hard running and O’Gara converted the score. The Dragons hit back through a Prydie penalty on 16 minutes but had to wait until the 42nd minute of the first half for their next three points, which came from Robling, reducing the deficit to 14-6 just before half-time. The second half started slowly and Dragons’ prop Dan Way let his frustrations get to him and was shown a yellow card for coming in at the side. Munster had lost Donncha O’Callaghan to a yellow card in the first half and Murray entered the fray two minutes later, in place of Peter Stringer, and the scrum-half immediately took advantage of the extra man with a try. O’Gara could not convert, hitting the post, buthe soon had a chance to redeem himself after Zebo’s first league try for his province since May. And with the Irish international fly-half’s successful effort, Munster, with the bonus point secured, streaked ahead on the scoreboard 26-6. The Dragons pulled a try back through Evans just after the hour mark but any thoughts of a comeback were dispelled when replacement O’Donnell crossed six minutes from time, O’Gara converting to complete the win.
