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There is already a huge amount riding on this Round 3 fixture after Newport Gwent Dragons and Bordeaux-Begles both lost to Bath in the opening two weekends of continental competition. - 04/12/2013 17:00
There is already a huge amount riding on this Round 3 fixture after Newport Gwent Dragons and Bordeaux-Begles both lost to Bath in the opening two weekends of continental competition.
Bordeaux were beaten by the English side on home soil in Round 1, while the Dragons were seen off 26-10 at The Rec last time out. Bonus-point wins over Italian Champions Mogliano mean the two teams are three points adrift of Bath ahead of their double header, with defeat on Friday likely to leave either side with too much to do to make the last eight.
The Dragons have home advantage in the first tie, with Rodney Parade a notoriously difficult place for opposing sides to visit. Much improved under new head coach Lyn Jones, the Welsh region have beaten Ulster, the Scarlets, Zebre, Mogliano and London Wasps there already this season.
But Newport hasn’t proved to be an impenetrable fortress as Irish giants Leinster and Munster won at the venue last month. Leinster edged home 23-19 at the beginning of November and Munster followed suit by sneaking an 18-14 win at the weekend.
And the Dragons’ home record in Europe isn’t as impressive as they would like over the past few seasons, with Bayonne and Wasps winning in South Wales last term and the likes of Exeter Chiefs, Toulouse, Glasgow Warriors, Biarritz Olympique and Gloucester matching that feat over the past four years.
Bordeaux-Begles ended a nine-match European losing streak by winning at 30-22 at Mogliano in Round 2 but you have to go back to October 2000 to find their last success on the road against non-Italian, Spanish or Romanian opposition. A 30-18 victory at Cross Keys 13 years ago was their most-recent triumph on Welsh soil and they will start as under dogs on Friday night as a result. They head to Wales in high spirits, though, after a huge domestic win at Biarritz Olympique on Saturday afternoon.
Match facts
Newport Gwent Dragons have won just four of their last 12 Amlin Challenge Cup games, with all those victories coming against Italian clubs.
Bordeaux are unbeaten against Welsh opposition in the tournament, winning the last three after drawing their first match.
The French side made more tackles (252) than any other side in the opening two rounds.
There is already a huge amount riding on this Round 3 fixture after Newport Gwent Dragons and Bordeaux-Begles both lost to Bath in the opening two weekends of continental competition. - 04/12/2013 17:00
Newport Gwent Dragons kept their hopes of a place in the knockout stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup very much alive with a superb, bonus-point win over Bordeaux-Begles.
Three first-half tries from Patrick Leach, Matthew Pewtner and recent Wales debutant Hallam Amos gave Lyn Jones and co a 12-point lead at the break, before Toby Faletau and Ashley Smith sealed the win with second-half scores.
It was only the Dragons fifth’ win in their last 13 fixtures in the competition but it sets them up nicely for a daunting trip to France to face the same opposition next Thursday.
It took the Dragons just seven minutes to get the game’s opening try when Wayne Evans and Jason Tovey combined twice in midfield put centre Leech over in the corner. Fly-half Tovey added the conversion and the Rodney Parade crowd had barely sat back in their seats when the Dragons got their second.
Scrum-half Evans burst clear down the touchline before finding Faletau on his inside shoulder and the Wales star drew Argentine full back Joaquin Tuculet and sent wing Pewtner clear to score.
Bordeaux No9 Manu Saubusse missed the chance to claw some points back with a penalty on 12 minutes but made up for it 10 minutes later with an easier kick from close range.
The Dragons survived a difficult 20 minutes with just three points conceded and it wasn’t long before the home side grabbed their third try.
Youngster Amos picked a great line to take a short ball off Evans and burst through the gap to score, with Tovey adding the extras.
Bordeaux hit back before the break with a try from prop Jefferson Poirot but a Tovey penalty just before and five minutes after half time extended their lead to 15.
The visitors refused to lay down and were awarded a penalty try on 55 minutes, but their comeback lasted just two minutes as Faletau raced in for the Dragon’s fourth try.
Amos had a hand in the Dragons’ final try as he created space for Ashley Smith to cross seven minutes from time.
A late try from replacement Jean-Baptiste Lamotte meant the Dragons had to do some defending to prevent the visitors getting a losing bonus point but they held out well to pile the pressure on Pool 2 pace setters Bath.
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