Dragons 19 Bayonne 22

10:05pm Saturday 20th October 2012 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Chris Kirwan

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons’ hopes of making the knockout stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup are over after defeat to Bayonne at Rodney Parade this evening.

The French visitors triumphed 22-19 but only after surviving a late Dragons onslaught.

The host hammered away at the Bayonne line but their fate was sealed when the TV match official ruled that they had not managed to sneak over the whitewash.

Combined with last week’s loss to Wasps at Adams Park, it means that it is nigh on impossible for the region to make it into the last eight of the tournament.

The Dragons were first to strike when Tom Brown, a number eight playing blindside, cut a lovely line before charging 30 metres to go under the sticks.

The kickers then took centre stage, Bayonne’s Benjamin Boyet’s brace and Tom Prydie trading penalties to make it 13-6 after a quarter.

Lewis Robling had a golden opportunity to set up the Dragons’ second try approaching the half hour but, with wing Will Harries screaming for the ball on his shoulder, failed to make the killer pass.

That meant the Dragons had to be content with another Prydie three-pointer from their trip to the 22 and they were good value for their 16-6 lead.

But it was all square at half-time after Australian skipper Mark Chisholm barged over following a couple of strong carries by Gabiriele Lovobalavu and Boyet added the conversion and another penalty.

There was more of the same after the break but it was Bayonne who led going into the closing stages thanks to two Boyet strikes to one from Prydie.

And they held on for victory... just.

Comments(16)

CaptainB says...
10:22pm Sat 20 Oct 12

Hard luck on the Dragons but when they look at it on Monday they will see that they gave it to Bayonne.

Two stupid early penalties given away, a daft try on half time....

but failure to pass by Robling having made a good break when Tuilagi was in the clear and from Tom Prydie when he made a break made the difference..

These clear chances are few and far between and we have to close them out.

Positives, Tuilagi playing better, though only one ploy, Owen Evans seems to be filling a gap and Toby starting to get there.

I feel sorry for Robling, a great prospect but he's thrown in at the deep end and his game hasn't developed that far yet.

Chav only saw the ball once, shame, Nimmo seemed to run out of steam at 30 minutes.

Good try from Tom Brown, but early on and in second half too many good positions given away by indiscipline.

On the whole there was more Grunt and a better scrum, line-out performed well, some positives.

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pooles says...
10:34pm Sat 20 Oct 12

Nimmo v v disappointing !! Not seen anything from any game yet where he has got amongst --- threw this game away again,, soooo glad I kept my season ticket money in the bank.. DE must go

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SWBorderer says...
11:19pm Sat 20 Oct 12

If nothing else it showed that when we get a sniff of some good ball we have the talent to use it.
A decent performance by the front row but the youngsters ran out of steam against a powerful pack, no shame there, but it emphasises the need for a solid, experienced tight head to take the initial pressure and set up a situation for these youngsters to come on later in the game.
I do believe that with a strengthened front row and a decent coach we could give most teams a game.
Defence was ropey to say the least, not much organisation, makes you wonder what Appleyard is doing. Didn't see much evidence of a game plan in attack either, more a case of play it by ear.
Can't fault the effort or commitment but the lack of old heads in key positions is letting us down.

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East Newport Dave says...
1:28am Sun 21 Oct 12

I'm sure it was this team that, a few years ago, we beat away and hammered at home. Now we get beaten at home. It's 21st Oct, we're out of Europe (2nd tier) out of the Rabo and the LV - who cares. I didn't go there tonight and have no intention of doing so until there is some structure there. We don't have good pros managing and coaching, and without the basics there is no way forward.

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the dork says...
11:41am Sun 21 Oct 12

Not Great

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Dai Trying says...
1:17pm Sun 21 Oct 12

10 out of 10 for effort, but effort alone does not win you many matches. Silly mistakes cost us alot of territory and points. Could do with someone to mentor our youthful halfbacks. Oh and Bayonne did not play all of their big guns. Changing the front row after the hour mark may have helped, that is the norm after all.

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J13 says...
1:43pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Best performace of the year so far.
Big improvement from last week. Maybe if we played a team of this quality every week, like in a proper league, we would see our youngsters continue to improve. What's the betting that Ulster send a 2nd team next Friday and the game is the usual RabidPro12 non-event.
This will be followed by a month of 2nd team non-events . No way to run a sport

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Robert Shillabeer says...
3:04pm Sun 21 Oct 12

The numpties are at it again I see, running the team down a bit wont win any games. The team played quite well and gave it thier all. Some were very tired by the middle of the second half and were subbed but the replacements did a good job. Just another six inches thats all that was needed to win the game, gutting result to lose right at the end. Signs of a better way of playing and do it again in the league and we can stand up to the big boys. Next Friday will be a really big test, looking forward to it as usual.

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Doberman1 says...
5:07pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Numpties.....this from a guy who thinks a player with a broken ankle can walk off the pitch without causing further damage!

Can't fault the effort from the boys last night, at least we got that. Still lost again though and that's what the records will show, again.

We will go nowhere with DE, still if that's what the likes of Robert want then keep him in situ, at least one fan will be happy.

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Keith Barnett says...
5:19pm Sun 21 Oct 12

That's the best yr ever gonna be able to say - we gave them a game - whoever we play against!
Shame that we will never go forward but always be exactly where we are now
No ambition, no progression
Sad

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Robert Shillabeer says...
8:51pm Sun 21 Oct 12

It was pointed out the other day DE has two and a bit years on his contract to go and replacing him would mean paying that up then getting another head coach, but nothing would change. On last nights game, if the try had been allowed we would have won by four points had it been converted and everything would have been a great performance. The spirit was great and oh for a few more inches nearer we would have won. On another aspect of last night we gave away stupid penalties that cost us dearly, we must stop this stupid play.

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SWBorderer says...
10:54pm Sun 21 Oct 12

Robert, to be honest the actual result last night was not that important to me, we were never going to win the Amlin Cup and I see the competition as a distraction and just an opportunity for players to get injured when we need them in the league.
As it happens I thought the performance was an improvement, but I stick to my comments that we have needed players to give us a forward platform and we have needed them for at least three years. If the people in charge can't or won't see that then they need to be replaced. The financial implications will be far worse if it is allowed to drift any longer.

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Robert Shillabeer says...
12:14am Mon 22 Oct 12

SW your comments are quite right about the competition being a distraction. The truth is tough it makes income for the region. That income supports the region and helps pay its way. From a supporters view point it gives us all four or five more opportunities to watch them play for our season ticket money (and I know it's included in the price) and for a bit more competition. We have done quite well in past years and brought through some good youngsters, Toby for one, and possible a couple more in the future. This year we can say goodbye to ant chance of progressing behind the first phase, but with a few more games to go, relax and hopefully enjoy the rugby. We now have to push on and improve our result in the league by taking a few scalps and climbing the table. I also note the other regions lost in the H cup and are now really out of the running bar any miracles so its a bad weekend for Welsh regions, but a good result for Newport against Cross Keys, that makes two out of two, so good luck to them, lets hope it continues.

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Dai the Milk says...
9:55am Mon 22 Oct 12

Wonderful effort by the Newport Dragons, I have to say.....but that's all I can say. We are, along with all the other 3 not-so-super clubs, woefully out of our depth in Europe. It's got to the stage where top sides send second teams or at least mixed teams to Wales because they don't respect us. We are not big players on the European stage. We are all development sides......mostly young wannabes with a sprinkling of old players past their peak from developing countries. Until the formula is ripped up and truly regional sides created with central contracts, this is how it will remain.

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Regionalist says...
11:27am Mon 22 Oct 12

Dai the Milk wrote:
Wonderful effort by the Newport Dragons, I have to say.....but that's all I can say. We are, along with all the other 3 not-so-super clubs, woefully out of our depth in Europe. It's got to the stage where top sides send second teams or at least mixed teams to Wales because they don't respect us. We are not big players on the European stage. We are all development sides......mostly young wannabes with a sprinkling of old players past their peak from developing countries. Until the formula is ripped up and truly regional sides created with central contracts, this is how it will remain.
Lovely irony as usual from the anti-regional brigade, who want to be 'included' but seem determined to refer to their region as 'Newport' Dragons, unlike the regional supporters and media!

For info Dai, the WRU purposely keep the regions weak and subservient to their control in order to keep their cash cow going and Roger Lewis's retirement fund increasing. Suggesting central contracts - where the region's prize assets are stripped and the pittance given by the Union in return further reduced - as some kind of answer is the kind of pie in the sky thinking I'd expect from someone who clearly is one of those in the self-imposed 'disenfranchised' camp...

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Robert Shillabeer says...
6:11pm Mon 22 Oct 12

Must say the Dai the Milk is right about central contracts, itsthe only way for the regions to hold onto thier internationals. I think the Dragons are OK in this respect as both Toby and Dan are homely lads and very unlikely to go to France. There you go Dai I have agreed with you but stop giggling The current squad needs some building but overall the squad is very good, not my opinion but the opinion of an old player and coach who played well into his forties. The comments about the Welsh rugby union are keeping the regions weak and subservient as they DO want the cash cow to have all the spare cash. If the offer was addtional to the current funding contribution they may well have said yes, but it just moves the winning line into the direct control of the WRU and is of no benefit to the regions as the regions would have funding reduced hile control of the players taken away, hows that a good deal, less money and no control, loser loser situation to me.

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