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Dragons travel to face Bordeaux-Bègles on Saturday
Dragons travel to face Bordeaux-Bègles on Saturday, knowing a victory will put them second in Challenge Cup Pool 1 with one game to play. The clubs have met twice previously, with both encounters coming during the 2013/14 pool stage with the home side on the day winning each match.
· Bordeaux-Bègles have lost just one of their six previous games against Welsh opposition in the Challenge Cup (W4, D1), while their biggest victory in the competition came at home to Ebbw Vale in 1996 (93-7).
· Dragons have won six of their last eight pool games against TOP 14 opposition (L2), although both defeats in that run came in France.
· Bordeaux’s Matthieu Jalibert (17.8) and Yann Lesgourgues (15.2) have the best average gain per carry rates of any players to make 10+ carries this season.
· All four of Angus O’Brien’s try assists this season have come from a kick, no other player has as many assists in this manner.
Bordeaux-Begles did their best to assert pressure on Newcastle Falcons at the European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 1 summit with a 36-28 triumph over Dragons at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday evening. - 13/01/2018 21:58
Bordeaux-Begles did their best to assert pressure on Newcastle Falcons at the European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 1 summit with a 36-28 triumph over Dragons at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday evening.
- Victory means Bordeaux-Begles are now within three points of Pool 1 leaders Newcastle Falcons, who face Enisei-STM on Sunday, before reverse fixtures in Round 6 next weekend.
- Dorian Jones and Matthieu Jalibert exchanged penalties in the first quarter, before James Benjamin bagged the opening try of the match to extend the Dragons advantage.
- Jones would chip away with a brace of penalties for the Dragons, only for Jalibert to dot down a try that would trim the Welsh region’s advantage to 16-8 at the interval.
- Bordeaux-Begles flew out of blocks in the second period as Blair Connor’s try, converted by Jalibert, brought the hosts within one point, only for Sarel Pretorius to push the Dragons’ lead back to eight points.
- Fa’asiu Fuatai would draw Bordeaux-Begles back within one point, before full-back Geoffrey Cros rose to fore with a brace of tries in nine minutes to give the hosts a 36-23 lead as they seized control of the tie.
- Carl Meyer would add a late Dragons try, but a failure to convert meant the Welsh region travel home with not even a losing bonus point to their name, while Bordeaux-Begles took a full quota of five points.
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