Dragons 23-22 Ospreys: Home side win first Welsh derby for four years
Last Updated: 30/12/18 6:00pm
The Dragons won their first PRO14 match against a Welsh region in four years after Ospreys stand-off Sam Davies missed a match-winning penalty in the last seconds.
Not since the Dragons beat the Blues on Boxing Day 2014 had they taken the scalp of a Welsh regional rival and it looked like they would lose again when the impeccable Davies, who landed five penalties and converted a second-half try from captain Justin Tipuric, lined up a 22-metre kick.
However, he missed the kick and the Dragons won 23-22.
The home side scored their points from fly-half Josh Lewis, with two penalties, and converted tries from wing Jarryd Rosser and hooker Elliot Dee, with replacement Jason Tovey also landing a penalty.
Lewis was in fine fettle from the kicking tee early on via two penalties, the first from the halfway line.
And the Dragons frustrated their opponents, who tried to spin the ball wide through Davies only to find the defence much stiffer than in most games this season.
But the Ospreys grabbed their first points through Davies' boot, which spurred the West Walians - led by Welsh flanker Tipuric - into life with some lively attacks.
Just before the half-hour, though, with the Ospreys pressing in the home 22, came a sizzling try.
The home pack turned over the Ospreys eight close to their own line. Scrum-half Rhodri Williams cleared from the base of the ruck towards touch.
But, with visiting wing Luke Morgan and full-back Dan Evans caught as they thought the kick was going into touch, the ball bounced welcomingly in play for Rosser to catch and sprint 60 metres to the corner.
Lewis converted from the touchline and the Ospreys looked stunned.
However, Tipuric gathered his troops and they fought back, causing their opponents to concede 30 metres out. Davies landed his second penalty and there was just a converted try between the teams at half-time.
Davies reduced the deficit to four points with a 25-metre penalty three minutes after the break, with another derby day victory for the Ospreys over their east Wales rivals looking possible.
Five minutes of pressure inside the visiting half, though, led to an attacking lineout move which resulted in Dee driving over from a ruck.
Davies kicked a fourth penalty on 57 minutes but the Ospreys could have been ahead but for some defiant Dragons defence and their own frailties in handling errors at crunch times throughout.
The Ospreys piled on the pressure, with wing George North coming more into the match after a quiet hour. And it was the Welsh wing giant who set up Tipuric to run 25 metres to the Dragons' line on 67 minutes, with Davies converting.
A thumping touchline penalty from Davies put the Ospreys ahead for the first time at 22-20 before Tovey, on for Lewis at fly-half, also landed a huge penalty from the sideline.
When the home side infringed on their own line, Davies had the penalty to win the match - but he scooped it wide and the Dragons' four-year drought against their rivals was over.
