Last-gasp Davies drop goal gives Dragons derby win over Scarlets
Dragons fly-half Sam Davies won a tense Guinness PRO14 derby against the Scarlets with a last-minute drop goal at Rodney Parade.
The Wales fly-half, who minutes earlier had missed a penalty, coolly slotted from the 22 to sneak a 22-20 success for the home side.
The Scarlets led 17-16 at half-time thanks to tries by Wales internationals Gareth Davies and Ken Owens.
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However, the Dragons, whose first-half try came from Rhodri Williams, struck late to dent their visitors’ play-off challenge.
The Scarlets were close to a remarkable start after the home side dropped the kick-off, with scrum-half Gareth Davies hacking the ball on for fellow Wales international Leigh Halfpenny to chase.
The full-back slid in after just nine seconds but the TMO deemed he had knocked on.
Halfpenny did soon open the scoring, albeit with a penalty, only for Dragons fly-half Davies to knock over two for a 6-3 lead in the ninth minute.
Davies landed a third penalty but the Scarlets took advantage of a yellow card shown to home lock Matthew Screech to stretch into a 17-9 lead after 31 minutes thanks to tries by a pair of Wales internationals.
First scrum-half Gareth Davies sniped over from a five-metre scrum and then hooker Ken Owens was at the bottom of an impressive lineout drive from almost 20 metres out, Halfpenny converting both.
The Dragons needed to respond and they did, with captain Rhodri Williams going under the posts from close range after full-back Will Talbot-Davies went close and fly-half Davies converting to make it 17-16 to the visitors at the break.
The Scarlets, who lost loosehead Wyn Jones to the sin bin at the end of the first half for his part in a scuffle, came close to stretching their lead when Ryan Lamb’s cross-kick found Johnny McNicholl in space down the right only for the wing to spill the ball with the line at his mercy.
The second half was a more cagey affair with plenty of mistakes in the torrential Newport rain and it remained a tense, one-point game going past the hour mark.
The tense tussle went the way of the Dragons in the 74th minute when Davies punished an offside only for the Scarlets to respond almost immediately through Halfpenny after a lineout offence.
Davies had another shot at goal after Moriarty was taken out off the ball but he pulled his long-range effort from the tee. He made no mistake at the death.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments