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Newport Gwent Dragons are hoping they can enjoy another European Rugby Challenge Cup adventure after a slow start to the season. - 12/10/2016 12:18
Newport Gwent Dragons are hoping they can enjoy another European Rugby Challenge Cup adventure after a slow start to the season.
The Men of Gwent have reached the semi-finals in the past two season’s but have been defeated by eventual champions Gloucester Rugby and Montpellier. Kingsley Jones’ side have enjoyed their European campaigns while suffering in the Guinness PRO12, and it is no different this time around as they prepare to welcome former European champions Brive.
The Dragons have a solitary win against Zebre to their name in the league, but are out to kickstart their season with a positive Pool 3 performance. But it will be no easy task against Brive, who have registered TOP14 victories over European heavyweights RC Toulon, Racing 92 and Stade Francais.
And Jones is determined to get back to winning ways in-front of the Rodney Parade faithful on Friday night.
He said: “Brive are a strong team. They are very tough over there and the question with French teams is always about how they will travel to us. They are doing well in the Top 14 so it’s a big challenge but one we are looking forward to.
“We are excited about it and the players were already talking about it in the changing rooms at the Scarlets. What we want to do is get a couple of wins and build some belief and momentum to play a very good Ospreys side away from home.”
Brive are out to right the wrongs of last season’s Challenge, when they were knocked out at the pool stages after defeats to Newcastle Falcons, Connacht and Enisei-STM. They get another shot at the Russian side in round three, but not before facing the Dragons and Worcester Warriors.
Dragons captain Lewis Evans will start at openside flanker in place of the injured Nic Cudd and Ollie Griffiths. But forwards coach Ceri Jones is glad to be bulking up his pack for Brive.
He said: “We will look for Lewis to move over to the openside. He has done the role before and against a big, heavy Brive team it's not the end of the world to have a decent-sized back row.”
Match Facts
- This will be the second meeting between the clubs in European competition. The Dragons beat Brive 39-17 at the quarter-final stage of the Challenge Cup in 2006/07.
- The Dragons have progressed from the pool stage in each of the last two tournaments, losing to eventual winners Montpellier in the semi-finals last season.
- The Dragons have won their last six home games in the Challenge Cup, their best run of home form in the tournament.
- In contrast, Brive have lost their last seven away games, their worst run away from home in the Challenge Cup.
- The Dragons had the best scrum success of any team in last season’s competition (97%), winning 63 of 65 scrums on their own put-in.
Newport Gwent Dragons are hoping they can enjoy another European Rugby Challenge Cup adventure after a slow start to the season. - 12/10/2016 12:18
Four tries in an 11 minute purple patch enabled Newport Gwent Dragons to haul themselves back from a 16-13 deficit to beat Brive 37-16 at Rodney Parade.
Thomas Larenjeira had put the French side ahead midway through the second-half before the Dragons started their brutal onslaught. Captain Lewis Evans scored the first in a breathtaking spell that included further tries from Cory Hill, Hallam Amos and Adam Warren, who all crossed within minutes of each other as the visitors crumbled in the final quarter.
Rynard Landman scored the hosts’ other try in the early exchanges of the first half with fly-half Larenjeira scoring all 16 Brive points. The Dragons raced into a 13-0 lead early in the first half through two quick-fire Nick Maleod penalties and Landman’s try at the posts.
But Brive eased their way back into it through the classy Laranjeira as he delicately gathered his own grubber kick to slide in under the bar. The visitors soon found themselves level when the fly-half added two penalties either side of Macleod’s miskick from 35 metres.
The two sides locked horns after the interval as Macleod skewed an early penalty attempt for the Dragons and was soon replaced by Angus O’Brien. Laranjeira capitalised on the error as he made no mistake with a simple kick in front of the posts to put Brive ahead for the first time.
But Newport came roaring back scoring two tries in five minutes in a pulsating middle spell. Evans had enough strength to wrestle his way over in the 63rd minute before Cory Hill battled his way across the try-line.
And it soon got better as Sam Beard’s clever cross kick found Amos in the corner before Warren punched a hole in the Brive defence to put the seal on the win.
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