Munster clambered back to the top of the Celtic League table, posting a 10-8 win after a dogged duel with Newport Gwent Dragons.
The southerners failed to build on the foundation of a third-minute try from captain Anthony Foley and the Dragons forwards boasted a particularly effective maul and their hard work kept the result in doubt right until the finish at Musgrave Park.
However, a stalemate ensued on the scoreboard after Dragons prop Adam Black's 10th-minute try - fly halves Mossie Lawlor and Craig Warlow could only add a penalty apiece for their respective sides.
Munster included only Foley and back three Shaun Payne, Ian Dowling and Barry Murphy from the starting line-up for last Saturday's memorable Heineken Cup win against Sale.
But the men in red almost effortlessly carried on from their defeat of the Sharks, putting Foley over in the opening skirmishes.
The Dragons scrum was disrupted in midfield, Lawlor took the ball on, Gary Connolly did well in support and Foley crashed over to the left of the posts.
Lawlor added the conversion, but the Welsh region, smarting from two Heineken Cup defeats by Munster in the past three months, soon got the bit between their teeth.
After Rhys Thomas had been unfortunate not to be awarded a try, his front row colleague Black ferreted over the line under Foley's last-ditch tackle to score.
Warlow's touchline conversion faded to the left and wide.
Munster took control of possession for the second quarter - a 30-metre run from Connolly saw the Dragons defence scattered, but still hold firm.
Lawlor then tagged on a 28th-minute penalty before Mick O'Driscoll, sent free down the right flank, barged past Ben Breeze on a hair-raising gallop, but Jamie Ringer recovered well to push the Munster lock into touch at the corner flag.
The sin-binning of Dragons lock Peter Sidoli for preventing a quick release, two minutes before the break, handed Munster a man advantage but they failed to add to their 10-5 half-time lead.
If anything, it inspired Paul Turner's visitors - Dragons captain Jason Forster was centimetres away from netting their second try from a 50th-minute maul.
Munster lost winger Dowling to a yellow card, moments later, for a deliberate knock on from a Black pass, but despite adding a 64th-minute penalty through Warlow, the Dragons could not deny the league's pace-setters.
