Munster ran in seven tries for a comfortable win with backs Peter Stringer, Kieran Lewis, Brian Carney and Rua Tipoki each touching down, while forward trio Donnacha Ryan, Federico Pucciariello and Frankie Sheahan also getting their names on the scoresheet.

Badly beaten by London Irish last time out and winless on their last 13 visits to Ireland, the Dragons kept in the game thanks to first half tries from full-back Martyn Thomas and winger Richard Mustoe, but Jamie Ringer’s 57th-minute effort proved little more than a consolation score.

Most of the damage was done in the first half as Munster’s set-piece dominance and slick handling saw them clinically expose the visitors’ defence.

Lifeimi Mafi provided the first real excitement with a stirring 20-metre break. Martyn Thomas grounded him with a crunching tackle but Munster quickly regrouped and Stringer dived over, four minutes later, from a close-range ruck.

Television match official Olan Trevor confirmed the score allowing Paul Warwick, who missed an earlier penalty, to convert for a 7-0 lead.

The Dragons were level in the 16th minute when good hands from Michael Owen put Thomas through a gap and the full-back’s excellent angled run saw him weave over from 30 metres.

But Munster really seized control when the Welsh region lost lock Adam Jones to the sin-bin midway through the half.

The hosts opted for a scrum from the resulting penalty and while Anthony Foley was stopped short, the Dragons’ rearguard was caught out when young lock Ryan stretched and made the whitewash.

Warwick converted and also added the extras to Lewis’ fine score. The centre’s first try since his move south from Leinster began with a Tony Buckley burst forward, Denis Hurley made excellent ground with a hand-off and charging run and Lewis was up in support to power over.

Against the run of play, the men in black cut the gap to 21-12 when Mustoe scythed his way through for an opportunistic try.

He brilliantly outstripped Carney to make the left corner and give Paul Turner’s men some hope.

However, Munster grabbed two late tries to take a 33-12 lead into the break. Sheahan was mauled over and Pucciariello followed up on an Alan Quinlan attack to gleefully end his try drought.

The glut continued with Ringer cancelling out Carney’s touchdown, coming up to the hour mark, but the game petered out with both coaches emptying their benches.

Despite having replacement prop Marcus Horan sin-binned in injury-time for punching, Munster ended the night in style with a Warwick block teeing up Tipoki for the game’s 10 and final try.