Dafydd James scored the Scarlets' opening try against Munster

Scarlets 25 (10)
Tries: D James, D Manu, D Daniel, B Davies.
Cons: C Thomas.
Pens: C Thomas.

Munster 12 (9)
Pens: J Manning 3.
DG: J Manning.

Llanelli Scarlets moved up to second in the Magners League as they saw off visitors Munster at Stradey Park.

With both sides shorn of their international players the match was a generally scrappy, scruffy affair.

Munster showed little ambition, staying in touch through Jeremy Manning's boot and waiting for Scarlets errors.

But four tries from Dafydd James, Deacon Manu, a decisive late breakaway from Darren Daniel and Barry Davies earned the Scarlets a bonus-point win.

After Ceiron Thomas had missed an early penalty kick for the Scarlets, the first serious chance of a try came when the Welsh turned over possession near their own line.

A series of Munster drives seemed likely to create the opening, only for Regan King to produce a crucial tackle and then rip the ball clear to snuff out the danger.

Manning did manage to open the scoring for the Irish with a 20th-minute penalty, but the Scarlets hit back immediately.

Fly-half Thomas jinked half through a gap and his inside pass out of the tackle sent James away under the posts, Thomas converting.

Manning reduced the deficit to a point with a smooth drop-goal, but was wide with a long-distance penalty soon after.

Thomas found his range from 41 metres to take the Scarlets to double figures but also missed another effort, which Manning punished by kicking Munster to within a point before the break.

The Scarlets struck first after half-time as a rolling maul drove Manu over for an unconverted try, but Manning's third penalty kept Munster in touch at 15-12.

The Welsh could have opened up a significant gap but first spurned a kick at goal in favour of a five-metre line-out, which Munster stole, then Thomas skewed wide when he did kick at the posts.

Manning missed a drop-goal and then a later penalty that would have brought Munster level.

But then the Irish spilled the ball in midfield and Scarlets wing Daniel scooped it up before racing 60 metres upfield to seal the victory.

Even better came five minutes into injury time as James' break sent Davies into the left corner for a fourth try and a bonus point.

Scarlets: B Davies; D James, R King, M Watkins, D Daniel; C Thomas, C Stuart-Smith; I Thomas, A Gravelle, D Manu, V Cooper, A Jones, I Afeaki, J Bater (capt), N Thomas.
Replacements: P John, K Owens for Gravelle (80), L Reed for Afeaki (51), J Mills for Cooper (50), L Williams, M Stoddart, G Evans for C. Thomas (75).

Munster: S Payne; J Kelly, B Murphy, L Mafi, I Dowling; J Manning, T O'Leary; D Hurley, A Kyriacou, F Pucciariello; C Wyatt, M O'Driscoll (capt); J O'Sullivan, T McGann, A Quinlan.
Replacements: S Cronin, T Ryan for Pucciariello (80), D Ryan, J Coughlan for O'Sullivan (80), G Hurley, E Hickey, T Halstead for Dowling (40).

Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand).

Att: 5,563