Glenn Bryce's try gave the Warriors a stay of execution as far as their title is concerned. It took them from behind, not only to secure the win their situation demanded but with a bonus point to boot.
That the holders are still hanging on in eighth place is testament to the ferocity of competition for the play-offs. After two-thirds of the regular season, eight teams are still in contention for a top-four finish, a level of intensity to rival any league in Europe.
The Warriors may be eleven points behind Ulster in fourth place but nobody will be foolish enough to write them off and not merely because they have two matches in hand on the majority of those above them. Gregor Townsend's challenge now is to replicate last year's grandstand finish.
Starting with the Scarlets this time last year, the Warriors won seven and drew one of their last ten fixtures of the regular season. A haul of 36 points gave them the priceless advantage of a home Play-Off.
The fact that they have eight points fewer than at the corresponding stage last season makes a similar return all the more critical if they are to finish in the play-off zone, as they have done in four of the five seasons since the 'Grand Final' made its debut in 2010.
Head coach Gregor Townsend will demand nothing less than a win when the Warriors kick off Round 16 at Rodney Parade next Thursday against a Dragons squad whose near miss in Italy last week gave Benetton Treviso their second straight win.
No team has ever had to come from as far behind as the holders but then no team, apart from Leinster, has been obliged to put as high a percentage of its squad at the disposal of the national cause.
On top of that they have had to cope with the additional handicap of having to play one home match at BT Murrayfield, against Edinburgh, of all people, and two more at Kilmarnock FC's Rugby Park because of the waterlogged state of Scotstoun.
With most of their backs on Scotland duty, the champions' Tongan tighthead, Sila Puafisi, put them on the way to their five-pointer against Munster with the first two tries. What Callum Black had done for Ulster the previous week is fast becoming a trend.
All three Munster tries came from two of their front row, loosehead Dave Kilcoyne and hooker Mike Sherry. Another hooker's try from Scott Otten secured Ospreys' home win over Edinburgh, trumping another try from a loosehead, Allan Dell.
Unusually, no fewer than 40 members of the Front Row Union have scored tries in the GUINNESS PRO12 as well as European competition this season. And there are still three months to go.
The list of front-row tries makes impressive reading
Munster 12 (Mike Sherry 5, Dave Kilcoyne 3, John Ryan 1, Duncan Casey 1, BJ Botha 1, James Cronin 1).
Warriors 8 (Sila Puafisi 2, Ryan Grant 1, Zander Fagerson 1, Gordon Reid 1, Alex Allan 1, James Malcolm 1, Mike Cusack 1).
Connacht 5 (Dennis Buckley 3, Rodney Ah You 1, Tom McCartney 1)
Leinster 5 (Jack McGrath 2, Sean Cronin 2, Mike Ross 1)
Ulster 4 (Rob Herring 1, Wiehahn Herbst 1, Callum Black 1, Kyle McCall 1)
Blues 4 (Sam Hobbs 2, Kristian Dacey 1, Ethan Lewis 1)
Edinburgh 3 (Allan Dell 1, John Andress 1, WP Nel 1)
Benetton Treviso 3 (Luca Bigi 1, Matteo Zanusso 1, Davide Giazzon 1)
Ospreys 3 (Sam Parry 2, Scott Otten 1)
Scarlets 3 (Phil John 2, Rhodri Jones 1)
Dragons 1 (Elliot Dee 1)
Not for the first time, leadership of the table changed twice in a matter of hours last weekend. Leinster had no sooner superseded Ulster at the top on the strength of the narrowest possible win over the Blues than Connacht jumped two points clear as reward for overwhelming Zebre in Parma.
Matt Healy's hat-trick - the first in the GUINNESS PRO12 since Rhys Patchell and Josh Turnbull against the same opposition on the opening weekend last September - raised his tally for the season from all matches to ten.
Maximum points from the Scarlets in Belfast on Sunday would have propelled Ulster back into pole position. Instead the leading Welsh challengers limited them to one, serving notice that they intend to go all the way.
Two tries, both touched down by full back Michael Collins, and four Aled Thomas goals enabled them to complete a notable double following the early-season win over Ulster at Parc y Scarlets.
Connacht, home on Saturday to play Ospreys, also stand alone for another reason. They are the only contender with a majority of home matches still to come, as can be seen in the following breakdown of who plays who between now and Round 22 on Saturday, May 7. The 2016 Final takes place three weeks later at BT Murrayfield on Saturday May 28.
Leaders - Connacht (Played 15, Points 50)
Home: Ospreys, Leinster, Munster, Warriors.
Away: Edinburgh, Ulster, Benetton Treviso.
Second placed - Leinster (Played 14, Points 48):
Home: Ospreys, Munster, Edinburgh, Benetton Treviso.
Away: Zebre, Warriors, Connacht, Ulster.
Third play-off position - Scarlets (Played 15, Points 48):
Home: Benetton Treviso, Blues, Warriors.
Away: Edinburgh, Ospreys, Dragons, Munster.
Last play-off position - Ulster (Played 15, Points 46):
Home: Zebre, Connacht, Leinster.
Away: Blues, Warriors, Zebre, Ospreys.
5th - Edinburgh (Played 15, Points 38):
Home: Scarlets, Connacht, Zebre, Blues.
Away: Dragons, Leinster, Munster.
6th - Ospreys (Played 15, Points 38):
Home: Scarlets, Benetton Treviso, Ulster.
Away: Connacht, Leinster, Dragons, Blues.
7th - Munster (Played 14, Points 38):
Home: Dragons, Zebre, Edinburgh, Scarlets.
Away: Benetton Treviso, Blues, Leinster, Connacht.
8th - Warriors (Played 13, Points 35):
Home: Blues, Leinster, Ulster, Zebre.
Away: Dragons, Benetton Treviso, Scarlets, Connacht.
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