Earls in full flight

Munster 50 Newport-Gwent Dragons 6:Munster's Keith Earls ran in a Magners League hat-trick against Newport-Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park to further underline his credentials as, not only one for the future, but very much one for the present. Two each for Paul Warwick and Doug Howlett completed the rout for the European champions.

Earls' former Ireland under-20s team-mate Luke Fitzgerald got three on the eve of his 21st birthday for Leinster against Edinburgh on Friday and, as if determined not to be upstaged, the Limerick back this evening tore the visitors' defence asunder with two in the first half and one in the second.

Three brilliant end-to-end efforts, two finished by Warwick and one by Howlett, plus a late touch down for the New Zealander after a well-worked penalty scrum delighted the home fans.

The results moves Tony McGahan's side into third place on the table, two points ahead of Leinster and four behind joint-leaders Ospreys and Scarlets with a game in hand.

Beaten in their first two Magners League outings, the Dragons travelled low on confidence, particularly as they had lost on their previous 16 trips to Ireland.

James Arlidge, who slotted in at fullback with Shaun Connor at number 10, managed to kick the Welsh region into a fourth-minute lead.

But that was as good as it really got for Paul Turner's men. Two minutes later, incisive running from David Wallace and Ian Dowling helped Earls convert a left wing overlap for his first try.

Paul Warwick converted and though the Dragons had some decent territory, they lacked the guile required to prise open the Munster defence.

A real contender for try of the season followed in the 20th minute when Warwick flung a crossfield kick out to Dowling.

The ball was beautifully spun through the hands of Barry Murphy, Earls, Lifeimi Mafi and Mick O'Driscoll before Warwick cantered in under the posts for a seven-pointer.

Earls made sure he grabbed the headlines with a stunning individual try, four minutes later.

Showing supreme confidence, he dummied a pass to Dowling, kicked forward on the left wing and scooped it up on the bounce with his right foot before gleefully touching down.

Trailing 19-3 at half-time, the Dragons' best moves were being spoiled by knock-ons but Arlidge did keep them in the game with a 46th-minute penalty.

However, the hosts then chalked up their bonus point score as Earls speared through a gap on the left and had the gas to make the line.

Adam Jones was thwarted after the Dragons had set up a five-metre line-out and with both Frankie Sheahan and Gethin Robinson sin-binned for separate incidents, the game lulled.

A Warwick penalty goal roused Munster back to life and the Munster outhalf was soon over the whitewash again after a storming intercept run by John O'Sullivan.

The demolition job was completed by a late Doug Howlett brace.

After Warwick's powerful break from the edge of his 22 Howlett's hand-off of Richard Fussell helped him under the posts before he raced over in the right corner, at the death, with Warwick's conversion taking his personal tally to 25 points.