LV=Cup: Dragons score six tries to down Ospreys
Last Updated: 14/11/14 9:59pm
Newport Gwent Dragons dominated up front as they claimed a 51-35 win over Welsh rivals Ospreys in the LV=Cup at Bridgend's Brewery Field.
Before the interval, a young Ospreys' pack had no answer to the power and experience of the opposition front five and was totally dominated at both line-outs at scrum. The game was over by half-time as remarkably the visitors already held a 41-0 lead before Dragons relaxed to allowing a tremendous Ospreys' rally.
Dragons scored a total of six tries through Lewis Evans (2), Cory Hill (2), Jonathan Evans and Ross Wardle with full back, Geraint Rhys Jones converting all six and kicked three penalties.
Ospreys managed five tries in response through Hanno Dirksen, Dafydd Howells, Cai Griffiths, Aisea Natoga and a penalty try award with Sam Davies converting all five.
Lewis Evans made his 150th appearance for the Dragons with Tyler Morgan returning on the wing after two months out with a new injury. Lock Ryan Landman also returned to resume the captaincy.
Martin Roberts captained the Ospreys with forwards Sam Parry, Richard Fussell and Ieuan Jones all appearing against their former region. Rob Dudley-Jones was also included in the pack to make his debut.
After six minutes, Dragons had the first chance for points and Geraint Rhys Jones made no mistake with his penalty kick.
Two minutes later and Dragons went further ahead with an excellent try. They won possession on half-way for Ashton Hewitt to put the hosts on the back foot with an elusive run before James Benjamin and Wardle linked well to send the latter over for the try which Jones converted.
Dragons' impressive start continued when following a line-out, their pack steamrolled the opposition over their own line to create a try for Evans which Jones converted to give his side a 17-0 lead after only 12 minutes.
Blown away
Ospreys were being simply blown away by the visitors' driving line-out and Evans scored his second as Dragons had little difficulty in trundling their opponents back 30 metres for another score. Jones was again on target with the conversion before adding his second penalty.
Twenty-seven points down, it became even worse for the hosts as their lock, Rory Thornton, was yellow carded for dragging down the first line-out and from the next, Dragons' forwards were unstoppable for Hill to crash over for the bonus point try.
A minute before half-time Dragons scored their fifth try of the half after some neat handling from Landman gave Jonathan Evans the opportunity to score with two further conversions from Jones making it 41-0 at the interval.
Seven minutes after the restart, Hill got the scoreboard rolling again for Dragons by finishing off a flowing movement before Ospreys at last showed some fight with three tries in seven minutes from Dirksen, Howells and Griffiths.
Jones steadied the ship with his third to bring up fifty for Dragons before Joseph Davies and Dorian Jones were both yellow carded as the visitors conceded a penalty try.
With the visitors down to 13 men, they conceded a fifth try to Natoga but they could no further inroads as Dragons held on to win a remarkable game.
