MAGNER'S LEAGUE - SCARLETS 16 MUNSTER 18: RONAN O'GARA was the hero for Munster who extend their lead to six points at the top of the Magners Celtic League with a late win over the Scarlets. O'Gara displayed nerves of steel and all his years of experience to fire home the 78th-minute penalty to clinch victory for the Red Army.
The Scarlets pushed the reigning European champions all the way in the first match at the new €28 million Parc y Scarlets ground in Llanelli.
Donncha O'Callaghan was Munster's second yellow-card victim and the hosts pounced when referee James Jones awarded a penalty try with just three minutes remaining on the clock.
O'Gara spoilt the home party, however, with a 30-metre kick a minute later to seal victory following first-half tries from Ian Dowling and Denis Leamy.
O'Gara said: "We made it tough for ourselves at the end. We played in second gear for most of the game and nearly paid the price. We were lucky to get the penalty at the end and to get the win."
One sore note for the visitors was the sight of number eight Leamy limping off with the aid of two trainers with an injury to his right knee in the 68th minute.
O'Gara took over the captain's armband in the absence of Paul O'Connell following his busy autumn schedule with Ireland.
The outhalf was one of seven Ireland stars in a strong line-up and spirits high among the Red Army after O'Connell, Leamy, David Wallace and John Hayes had penned contract extensions.
It took just three minutes for the visitors to take the lead through O'Gara's penalty. Former Irish flanker Simon Easterby put the Scarlets back on the front foot but they failed to turn their possession into points as Rhys Priestland pulled a 13th-minute penalty to the right of the posts.
Priestland made amends eight minutes later when he levelled the scores with a routine penalty following Lifeimi Mafi's yellow card for killing possession. But the Scarlets failed to utilise the advantage as the match reached a stalemate midway through the opening half.
Munster made the hosts pay after 30 minutes when quick thinking from Mick O'Driscoll allowed flanker Niall Ronan to put Dowling in space on the left wing.
Dowling cut inside Morgan Stoddart and fended off scrumhalf Silio Martens to touch down.
O'Gara missed the conversion but Munster doubled their try count through Leamy's try six minutes later. The visitors dominated the Scarlets' scrum and Leamy picked up the free ball to crash through David Lyons's tackle from five metres out.
O'Gara's conversion put Munster in control to hand them a healthy 15-3 interval lead.
The Scarlets cut the lead to nine points through Priestland's second penalty and added a third with just 13 minutes left on the clock.
With O'Callaghan off the field, the Scarlets were awarded the penalty try before O'Gara showed a cool head to win the points for the runaway league leaders.
SCARLETS:M Stoddart; M Jacob, R King, G Evans, J Davies; R Priestland, S Martens; I Thomas, K Owen, K Meeuws, V Cooper, D Day, N Thomas, D Lyons, S Easterby. Replacements: J Edwards for S Easterby 24-34 mins; G Cattle for Martens, 56 mins; M Schwalger for Owens, 56 mins; D Manu for K Meeuws, 56 mins; C Thomas for G Evans, 68 mins; P John for I Thomas. 68 mins; J Edwards for N Thomas, 68 mins.
MUNSTER:P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, F Sheahan, T Buckley, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, D Leamy, N Ronan. Replacements: D Fogarty for Sheahan, 57 mins; F Pucciariello for Horan, 62 mins; P Stringer for O'Leary, 63 mins; J Coughlan for Leamy, 68 mins. Yellow Cards: Mafi 20, O'Callaghan 73.
Referee:James Jones (WRU).
