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Jamie Shillcock, who chalked up 27 points for Worcester Warriors in their European Rugby Challenge Cup Round 1 win at Enisei-STM
Dragons, one of only two teams in this season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup to take maximum points from their first two games, will have that 100 per cent record put to the test at Worcester Warriors on Saturday.
Worcester, who are five points behind the Pool 1 leaders in second place, are unbeaten in their last eight home pool games in the competition.
Key facts
- Worcester and Dragons have met twice before in the Challenge Cup, in the 2016/17 pool stage, with the home side winning on each occasion.
- Dragons have won only twice on English soil in European competition in 17 games.
- Worcester are the top metre-makers after two rounds with 980.
🗨️"We won't be rushing them in… It would lack respect for people who have worked hard to get in the team… We have to integrate the right way…"
Ryan ready to start integrating World Cup aces in… 👇
▶️ https://t.co/u9LhFJ5lNu#BringYourFire🔥 pic.twitter.com/daJqEAySop
— Dragons 🏉 (@dragonsrugby) December 4, 2019
Worcester Warriors wrested Dragons’ 100 per cent record from them in a finely-balanced Pool 1 encounter in the European Rugby Challenge Cup – edging it 34-28.
Dragons went into the match as Pool 1 leaders and one of only two teams in this season’s competition to take maximum points from their first two games.
But Worcester had been unbeaten in their last eight home pool games in the competition – and have now extended that run to nine.
😬😬😬 pic.twitter.com/JuYkSZEuMX
— Worcester Warriors (@WorcsWarriors) December 7, 2019
Jamie Shillcock’s sixth-minute penalty put Warriors in front – but Dragons hit back thanks to a try from Aaron Wainwright, converted by Sam Davies.
The game tilted in the hosts’ favour when Taine Basham received a red card after 18 minutes.
Ryan Mills scored Warriors’ first try of the afternoon on 23 minutes – and Shillcock added the conversion and then a penalty shortly before the break.
📸ACTION | First half action at Sixways… #WORvDRA pic.twitter.com/fiTIqMhIMx
— Dragons 🏉 (@dragonsrugby) December 7, 2019
Skipper Rhodri Williams notched Dragons’ first try of the second half, moving them into the lead again – but a try from Noah Heward, converted by Shillcock, helped Warriors seize the advantage once more.
A Davies penalty gave Dragons a 21-20 lead – but Heward’s second of the afternoon, again converted by Shillcock, followed by a 72nd-minute try from Jono Kitto put Warriors ahead, and this time they did not let it slip.
The on-loan Luke Baldwin narrowed the margin of defeat four minutes from time.
Dragons have now won only twice on English soil in European competition in 18 games.
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