Munster 12 Llanelli Scarlets 19
Out-half Gareth Bowen scored all the points as Llanelli Scarlets became the first team to beat Munster in a non-domestic competitive match at Thomond Park, Limerick tonight.
Against a Munster team missing 11 players on World Cup training duty as well as injured centres Rob Henderson and Jason Holland, Bowen made history for the Welshmen with a try, drop goal, conversion and three penalties to continue their winning start in this year's Celtic League competition.
But the performance was marred by a late injury to veteran Wales and Lions number eight Scott Quinnell, who was stretchered from the pitch wearing a neck brace.
Llanelli's stronger starting line-up dominated much of the first half without converting their superiority into points.
Despite seeing Jeremy Staunton successfully kick a penalty in the seventh minute, the Scarlets spent the next 23 minutes camped deep inside the Munster 22.
But their continued pressure only garnered one penalty from Bowen and when the Irish side finally broke out of their own half, Staunton put Munster back in front with another penalty that gave them a 6-3 half-time lead, although not before Llanelli flanker Ian Boobyer was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate offside.
The visitors started the second half in much brighter fashion, Bowen sending over a 43rd minute drop goal to bring the sides level.
Scottish referee Greg Davies sin-binned Scarlets prop John Davies, followed soon after by Munster flanker Denis Leamy before Bowen and Staunton exchanged penalties to leave the scores level at 9-9 with an hour gone.
The turning point came when Munster fly-half Killian Keane's defensive clearance was charged down by opposite number Bowen, who collected the ball to score close to the posts, converting his own try to open up a 16-9 lead.
Staunton was able to close the gap to 16-12 with a penalty from under the posts but that was how it stayed.
With Munster once again defending inside their own half, Quinnell failed to rise from the bottom of a ruck and after lengthy medical attention on the field before being stretchered off.
It meant there was plenty of injury time and Munster used it to push hard up field.
But Llanelli managed to turn the ball over, kicked back up field and won a penalty which Bowen kicked successfully to bring Munster's proud record to an end.