| Newport Gwent Dragons Sunk By Stunning Scarlets Comeback |
Newport Gwent Dragons |
25 - 27 |
Scarlets |
| Rodney Parade Att: 5,057 |
| Wednesday 10th September 2008, 19:05 |
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| Stephen Jones struck the match-winning penalty goal at Rodney Parade on Wednesday, dashing the Newport Gwent Dragons' hopes of a first Magners League win of the season and completing a memorable 21-point comeback for the Llanelli Scarlets. |
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| Llanelli fly-half Stephen Jones has nowhere to go as the Dragons sandwich him at Rodney Parada |
| © Huw Evans Agency |
In what was a real game of two halves, the Newport Gwent Dragons powered their way to a 25-6 half-time lead as they comprehensively outplayed their Welsh rivals and grabbed tries through Richard Fussell, Tom Willis and Lewis Evans.
Recent signing James Arlidge also chipped in with 10 points to give Paul Turner's charges every chance of recording their third straight win over the Scarlets.
But having played some of their best rugby for some time, the Dragons disappointingly lost their way on the resumption.
Two quick penalties from Stephen Jones got Llanelli back within range and tries followed from replacements Martin Roberts and Nathan Brew while Dragons winger Tal Selley was in the sin-bin.
The home side were on the rack and despite missing some scoring chances, the Scarlets nudged ahead for the first time in the game when Jones, captain for the night, converted a late penalty.
Edged out by Glasgow in their league opener, the Dragons were doubly determined to chalk up their first victory which would allow them to Munster next weekend with a spring in their step.
Head coach Turner made one change to the team that lost to the Warriors, with converted centre Phil Dollman replacing the injured Ashley Smith at full-back.
Scarlets boss Nigel Davies also made switches to the side that secured a 16-9 win at Ulster last Friday.
Club captain Simon Easterby was benched with Dafydd Jones taking his place in the back row, while New Zealander Simon Maling also stepped in for injured second row Vernon Cooper.
The third and final change saw Dafydd James pencilled in on the left wing as a replacement for flu victim Mark Jones.
In the build-up to the derby, Turner admitted he was 'looking forward to a huge performance' from his side and he got just that in the first half.
The Dragons raced out of the blocks and were 11-0 to the good within 15 minutes of the kick-off.
Japan international Arlidge booted two early penalty goals before winger Richard Fussell, who looked lively once again, touched down in the left corner.
He made full use of an overlap, taking a pass from Rory Sidey after good work from Adam Black and Marc Stcherbina in the build-up.
The Dragons might have been further ahead but Arlidge missed a couple of place kicks and despite an error-strewn first quarter from the Scarlets, they managed to get on the scoreboard when Jones landed his first penalty success.
Jones had to pull off a brilliant tackle to prevent Fussell from grabbing his second try but the Dragons' good work and sheer commitment was rewarded, coming up to the break, when they scored two opportunistic tries.
The Scarlets handed those scores to them on a plate however, as first they failed to gather Lou Reed's tap down from a five-metre lineout and Tom Willis, the Dragons' new captain, was on hand to pounce on the loose ball and score.
Arlidge added the conversion and although Llanelli replied with a Jones penalty, the hosts had the final say of the first half.
They notched another seven-pointer when the Scarlets lost control at a ruck near their line.
The ball squirted invitingly out for number 8 Lewis Evans to snaffle it and cross the whitewash with television match official Tony Rowlands confirming the score.
Almost three converted tries in arrears, the Scarlets needed to do something and do it fast. Jones, just as he had done against Ulster, assumed a central role in the second half and his penalty brace after 43 and 46 minutes certainly settled his side.
With their lead down to 25-12, the Dragons needed a steadying score. They looked to exert more control and carved out a number of decent scoring situations but as Turner admitted afterwards, they went off the boil.
Sidey earned his corn with an excellent tackle that robbed Scarlets winger Darren Daniel of his second try in as many games but the 5,057-strong crowd could sense the visitors were beginning to click.
The Dragons' hopes were hit in the 53rd minute when Tal Selley, a former Scarlets player, was yellow carded for persistent infringements and Llanelli wasted little time in making their numerical advantage count.
Aided by some timely substitutions, Davies' men cut the gap to just eight points when the newly-introduced Simon Easterby stretched his legs and helped set up scrum half Martin Roberts, another man fresh off the bench, for a try in the corner.
A surging run on the counter from Morgan Stoddart then led to a second Scarlets try in the 62nd minute.
The flying full-back's pass to Nathan Brew looked forward but the attack was allowed to continue and the replacement winger dashed over for the try.
Jones' conversion made it a one-point game and the Dragons were simply stunned.
The hosts' defence had been strong throughout but Llanelli scored when it mattered most. They did miss a couple of chances to take the lead, late on, when Brew dropped the ball with the line in sight and Jones missed a close range drop goal.
But they came good in the end despite some dogged Dragons resistence. A scrum infringement right at the death allowed Jones split the posts for a final time and maintain his side's 100% start to the league campaign. |
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| First half timeline |
| 7 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Penalty kick - J Arlidge |
| 9 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Penalty kick - J Arlidge |
| 15 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Try - R Fussell |
| 19 | Scarlets | Penalty kick - S Jones |
| 28 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Try - T Willis |
| 28 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Conversion - J Arlidge |
| 32 | Scarlets | Penalty kick - S Jones |
| 36 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Try - L Evans |
| 36 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Conversion - J Arlidge |
| Second half timeline |
| 41 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - J Ringer on for L Evans |
| 41 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - S Connor on for P Dollman |
| 43 | Scarlets | Penalty kick - S Jones |
| 46 | Scarlets | Penalty kick - S Jones |
| 49 | Scarlets | Substitution - N Brew on for D Daniel |
| 50 | Scarlets | Substitution - S Macleod on for L Reed |
| 50 | Scarlets | Substitution - S Easterby on for D Jones |
| 50 | Scarlets | Substitution - M Roberts on for S Martens |
| 53 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Yellow card - T Selley |
| 53 | Scarlets | Try - M Roberts |
| 55 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - H Gustafson on for A Black |
| 62 | Scarlets | Try - N Brew |
| 62 | Scarlets | Conversion - S Jones |
| 63 | Scarlets | Substitution - D Manu on for K Meeuws |
| 64 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - R Lewis on for W Evans |
| 65 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - G Webb on for A Jones |
| 68 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - L Harrison on for R Thomas |
| 77 | Scarlets | Penalty kick - S Jones |
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