THERE was no miracle in Munster as the Dragons endured another tough assignment on the road in the Guinness PRO14.

The Irish province, shoo-ins for the play-offs in Conference A, had a bonus point in the bag before the hour when easing to a 49-6 success in Cork.

It may be a new era for the Welsh Rugby Union-owned Dragons, and there have been some flickers of hope this season, but this was a familiar tale.

One headed through the Musgrave Park gates fearing a beating and one transpired, Bernard Jackman’s side not having a chance of any note in a seven tries to none drubbing.

Only the biggest optimist would claim any positives.

Munster has never been a happy hunting ground for the Rodney Parade region with a solitary win way back in the first season of regional rugby at Thomond Park in Limerick.

That being said, there haven’t been many locations that have made the Dragons smile in recent years and their losing streak on the road in the PRO14, all the way back to Treviso in March, 2015, will stretch to another tough date in Dublin at the end of the month.

That’s another encounter that is likely to make them wince but Bernard Jackman won’t just be looking at the wins column heading into December of his first season in charge.

The head coach made 10 changes to the XV that lost in Swansea but this wasn’t a selection choice as it had been at Ulster earlier in the season when fringe players were given a shot.

Seven of the alterations were enforced – because of Wales call-ups for Cory Hill, Leon Brown, Elliot Dee and Hallam Amos while injury has sidelined Lewis Evans, James Thomas and Tyler Morgan – and only Gavin Henson was rested completely.

Pretty much every fit player available to the management was in Cork and all of them had a point to prove.

Nonetheless, the pre-match question wasn’t about who would win but by how much with one bookmaker giving the Dragons a whopping 26-point headstart in the handicap.

Perhaps their best chance of leaving Musgrave Park with something to show for their toil was to play with gay abandon, as they had in the final game of 2014/15 when four tries earned a consolation in a 50-27 hammering in Cork.

After a crisp day, evening rain put an end to any prospect of such a tactic.

But it wasn’t all about the result for Jackman; he wanted to learn about players whose chances have been fleeting in the opening months of the campaign.

Senior figures Adam Warren and Rynard Landman have had to play second fiddle after previously being regulars while the new front row of Thomas Davies, Gerard Ellis and Lloyd Fairbrother had a golden opportunity in the absence of inked-in starters Brok Harris (who was on the bench), Dee and Brown.

In the end the whole squad put in a shift that couldn’t be questioned for effort but there was undeniably a mixture of rustiness, inexperience and some players being second-stringers.

The hosts were without a number of their Ireland contingent but still bossed the physical exchanges, a familiar tale for the Dragons against Champions Cup sides.

Munster made a lively start, keen to give boss Rassie Erasmus a good send-off in his final game before returning to South Africa, and they put the squeeze on in the expected manner with aerial examination and tight power.

The only surprise was that it took until the 21st minute for their dominance to be reflected on the scoreboard with the Dragons grateful for some uncharacteristic sloppiness from the Irish province.

The first score came when fly-half JJ Hanrahan scythed through and put Rory Scannell over down the left, the centre sliding over thanks to the greasy conditions.

Hanrahan added the extras superbly but opposite number Angus O’Brien swiftly responded with his own excellent nudge to make the score 7-3.

However, Munster were dominating territory and possession with their driving lineout sucking in defenders.

Try number two came on the half hour from one such occasion, the pack softening the Dragons up before the ball was spread wide for Simon Zebo, no longer needed by Ireland because of his impending move to France, to reach over down the left for a converted try.

It had pretty much been a defensive workout for the Dragons, who were losing the collisions and had to fight for every inch on the few occasions that they did get their hands on the ball.

It was with some relief that it was ‘only’ 14-3 at the break and somehow the visitors, who couldn’t be faulted for endeavour, had to muster a way of putting a smidgen of pressure on the Irishmen.

They started well with O’Brien bravely claiming an overthrown lineout before knocking over a penalty for 14-6 after a Munster breakdown offence.

The Dragons looked more assured yet it counted for nothing after they were tuned over from a lineout in the 22 – the Irish province went down the other end through powerful former Cardiff Blues number eight Robin Copeland and wing Darren Sweetnam, released by Ireland, put flanker Jack O’Donogue over down the right.

Hanrahan converted for 21-6 and the only bonus that was up for grabs was Munster’s extra.

Jackman started to empty his bench but it didn’t change the momentum and the five-point haul was secured after 58 minutes when wing Sweetnam was put over after pressure from the big boys.

Worrying Munster were hungry for more and they got it, furthing scores coming from Sam Arnold after good work by the imperious Hanrahan and a driving lineout score by hooker Kevin O’Byrne and another by Arnold.

It was some relief when referee Mike Adamson brought an end to a tough, tough night in Cork.

Munster: S Zebo, D Sweetnam, C Farrell, R Scannell (S Arnold 58), A Wootton, JJ Hanrahan, D Williams (J Hart 52), L O’Connor (J Cronin 49), R Marshall (K O’Byrne 60), S Archer (B Scott 66), J Kleyn (D O’Shea 49), B Holland (captain), J O’Donoghue (M Flanagan 71), C Cloete, R Copeland.

Scorers: tries – R Scannell, S Zebo, J O’Donoghue, D Sweetnam, S Arnold (2), K O’Byrne; conversions – JJ Hanrahan (7)

Dragons: W Talbot-Davies, A Hewitt, A Warren, J Dixon (P Howard 58), J Rosser, A O’Brien (A Robson 64), C Davies (S Pretorius 50), T Davies (L Garrett 49), G Ellis (L Belcher 45), L Fairbrother (B Harris 49), J Davies (S Andrews 64), R Landman, A Wainwright, J Benjamin (captain), J Sheekey (B Roach 49).

Scorers: penalties – A O’Brien (2)

Referee: Mike Adamson