Munster ensured themselves a place in the RaboDirect PRO12 play-offs with this 20-20 draw at Parc Y Scarlets where they had to withstand a late and furious onslaught from a home side who trailed 20-10 at one stage.

It just now remains for the final round of games on May 5th to determine whether Munster must travel back to Wales for a tilt at the Ospreys or plan the shorter trip to Dublin and a clash with Leinster.

In south Wales on Saturday Munster played their best rugby in the opening half when they had tries from Donncha Ryan and Simon Zebo – his seventh of this campaign – to lead 17-10 at the break. They might have put the result beyond doubt early in the second half when an attempted Ospreys clearance in the right-hand corner was blocked to set up a sequence of play that saw Ian Keatley knock-on as he attempted to gather for a certain try under the posts.

The Munster out-half knocked over a penalty minutes later after Sione Timani had been penalised for a late hit on Peter O'Mahony but Adam Shingler's try on the hour mark, converted by Rhys Priestland kept the home side very much in the hunt and with ten minutes to go, Priestland tied the game to set up a frenzied finish.

Credit then to the Munster defence who were quite superb and disciplined in those closing minutes as Scarlets, roared on by the near 11,000 crowd, threw everything at them. Credit too to referee Alain Rolland who can't have been oblivious to the unacceptable chants from the Scarlets crowd, for keeping his nerve as Scarlets did their utmost to force the penalty that might have given them victory.

Rolland took the field to a chorus of boos – the Welsh still obviously unwilling to forget his World Cup dismissal of Sam Warburton – even though the player himself supported the decision – and earned further crowd ire when awarding a penalty at scrum-time after seven minutes.

Keatley was wide of the mark and three minutes later, Scarlets broke from their own 22 for Sean Lamont to score in the right hand corner, Priestland's conversion gving them the perfect start.

Munster's set piece was a source of strength throughout and it provided well worked tries, first for Donncha Ryan who simply walked over Priestland in the 17th minute after Mick O'Driscoll had stolen a Scarlets line-out and then Simon Zebo who did well to score in the tackle after a sublime inside pass from Keatley four minutes later.

Priestland and Keatley traded penalties either side of the break before Adam Shinger's 60th minute was converted by Shingler to leave three points separating the sides.

A bad touchfind miss from Keatley handed Scarlets the initiative back to Scarlets but the out-half was a central figure in that end game Munster rear-guard action that saw them earn a deserved share of the spoils.

Munster: F Jones (I Dineen 65); L O’Dea; J Murphy; L Mafi; S Zebo; I Keatley; C Murray (T O’Leary 61); D Kilcoyne (W du Preez 52), M Sherry; BJ Botha (S Archer 71) M O’Driscoll (D O’Callaghan 67), P O’Connell (capt), D Ryan; T O’Donnell (P Butler 37); P O’Mahony.

Scarlets: L Williams, G North, A Warren, S Jones, S Lamont, R Priestland, G Davies (T Knoyle 61); R Jones (S Gardiner 74), M Rees (capt, E Phillips 61), D Manu (P John 65), S Timani (K Murphy 55), D Day, A Shingler, J Turnbull, B Morgan.

Referee : Alain Rolland (IRFU).