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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
Newport Gwent Dragons are in Italy on Thursday but they know they can no longer influence the outcome of Pool 2.
The Dragons only had slim hopes of quarter-final qualification prior to the start of Round 5 but those aspirations were all but extinguished in just over half hour of last week’s clash with Bath. The Welsh side were beaten 30-13 by the pool leaders after Bath scored four tries and raced into a 27-3 lead after just 31 minutes. That result saw Bath through to the last eight, with the Dragons left with just pride to play for at the Stadio Comunale Maurizio Quaggia.
Lyn Jones’ side are yet to win on the road in this year’s competition after defeats at Bath and Bordeaux-Begles but they did triumph at this venue when they met Moglaino in the pool stages last season. The Dragons won 33-0 in tough conditions here in December 2012 and have come out on top in both other encounters with Mogliano at Rodney Parade. They scored seven tries in a 50-8 victory in Round 1, having also hit a half century in South Wales last term.
The Dragons don’t have an impressive away record in European competition but they have never lost in Italy in either the Amlin Challenge Cup or Heineken Cup, having bagged wins at Benetton Treviso and I Cavalieri Prato.
Moglaino are yet to picked up a point as they reach the end of their second season of Amlin Challenge Cup action but they came close to ending that drought when they faced Bordeaux at home in October. At least a losing bonus point seemed to be within their reach in Round 2 before a 76th-minute try ensured they were left empty handed once again. Mogliano actually led their Top 14 rivals going into the final quarter so the Dragons will be aware that complacency could yet cost them dear.
“After playing there in the snow last year, we know that Mogliano are a tough, physical team. All teams target their home games and Mogliano will be no different. It will be tough up front and we will need to match that,” said Dragons centre Ashley Smith.
Ross Wardle capped a second-half fight-back as Newport Gwent Dragons ended their hit-and-miss Amlin Challenge Cup campaign on a winning note with a 24-12 win in Italy. - 16/01/2014 22:13
Ross Wardle capped a second-half fight-back as Newport Gwent Dragons ended their hit-and-miss Amlin Challenge Cup campaign on a winning note with a 24-12 win in Italy.
Wardle crossed just four minutes after Wayne Evans’ try to complete victory over Italian champions Mogliano.Steffan Jones kicked three penalties before Kris Burton added five late points but not even a stand-out display by flanker Scott Matthews could make up for an unconvincing performance.
Skipper Andrew Coombs said: “We pleased to take a win but we are very disappointed with the performance. The first half just wasn’t good enough.”
Dragons beat Mogliano 50-8 at Rodney Parade but it was a different story in rain-soaked north-east Italy particularly at half-time when they trailed 9-3 with Nathan Buck in the sin bin and veteran lock Robert Sidoli requiring treatment for a nasty head injury.
Lyn Jones’ team were full of enterprise among the backs but handling errors in the wet conditions and a set of forwards who failed to get on the front foot saw them trail from the 13th minute to a penalty. Chances went begging as Wardle squandered a scoring opportunity and Jones missed his first penalty attempt.
Mogliano won the early kicking duel and when outstanding Matthews was caught off-side offside, Nicolo Fedalti kicked the hosts 6-0 ahead. An Italian driving maul almost produced a try when Filippo Guarducchi easily out-jumped pint-sized Will Harries only for Enrico Ceccato to knock-on over the line.
Matters worsened when prop Buck was binned for not rolling away and the penalty kick left Dragons trailing 9-3. Yet Jones’ words at half-time worked wonders and 14-man Dragons were soon back on level terms, before Buck returned, through the boot of Jones.
The young fly-half and Dan Evans kicked the Dragons up-field to equalise with two penalties before finally breaking through the Italian defence twice in the space of four minutes. Matthew Screech’s line-out set up a drive from which Matthews spotted an opening on the blindside and sent replacement Evans in the corner to score with his first-touch.
Burton’s conversion sailed wide but moments later, Matthews sparked another break that ended with Will Harries finding a clever angled-run by Wardle who crashed through. Harries missed a golden chance when he dropped the ball inside his own half with clear field before him.
Burtonadded a penalty but Dragons fell short to clinch a third try despite Mogliano being reduced to 13 men with two late yellow cards as the Welsh turned the screw.
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