THE Dragons’ European campaign is already hanging by a thread after a 35-21 hammering at the hands of Northampton at Rodney Parade.

A nightmare group containing French giants Clermont Auvergne meant there was precious little margin for error in the region’s Newport clashes but they now need a Challenge Cup miracle after the Saints romped to victory, even if the scoreboard suggests it was rather more tight.

They had a commanding 21-0 lead at half-time thanks to scores by lock David Ribbans and scrum-half Alex Mitchell plus a penalty try.

And the Saints, hammered by Clermont at Franklin’s Gardens in round one, had their bonus in the bag on 48 minutes when Ribbans went over again from close range.

It leaves the Dragons, who showed some pluckiness late on (too late on), needing to upset the odds either in the East Midlands of France in December to have the slightest sniff of making the last eight as one of the best runners-up. Those odds will be extremely long.

Bernard Jackman’s side enjoyed an eight-try romp at Timisoara Saracens on opening weekend but failed to cope with the step up in class, even against a Saints side who had lost five of their last seven games and who are looking over their shoulder at the Gallagher Premiership dropzone.

The Dragons made an absolutely shocking start to set the tone; they missed tackles, made errors galore, aligned poorly, made bad choices.

The Saints overpowered them and sadly it was also a tale of two fly-halves with experienced Wales international Dan Biggar pulling the strings expertly while Josh Lewis endured a torrid opening quarter, kicking a restart straight out and putting a pair of penalties dead, to damage his confidence.

If the Dragons were to cause an upset then they needed to start fast to get the (rather sparse) crowd involved and have something to hang onto.

Instead it was pretty much game over before teams returned to their changing rooms.

South Wales Argus:

The Saints signalled their intent – and perhaps what they thought of the Dragons – by going to the corner with a pair of penalties in the opening exchanges.

The drive was stopped but the visitors kept possession and eventually hammered their way over, South African lock Ribbans with the fifth-minute try that Biggar converted.

The Dragons needed to settle but Lewis kicked the restart dead and they were penalised from the resulting scrum to be under the pump once again.

Thankfully the pressure was relieved when Rhodri Williams intercepted and while the scrum-half didn’t have the pace to make the line, Aussie speedster Andrew Kellaway having the angle on him, it seemed to settle the hosts down.

But no sooner had the Dragons enjoyed some possession than they were back under their posts; Biggar going through a gaping hole in midfield on halfway and then putting half-back partner Alex Mitchell over.

The Welshman converted and at 14-0 Jackman’s side already had a mountain to climb, which led to them turning down a kickable penalty to go for the corner.

Alas, captain Cory Hill claimed it but the drive was turned over by the Saints.

That frustration was compounded by the Dragons’ failure to prevent their English opponents when they got into the redzone.

The Saints kicked penalties to the corner and not only did Lewis Evans see yellow but French referee Mathieu Raynal got fed up and marched under the posts for a penalty try before also sin-binning centre Adam Warren.

At 21-0 the home crowd was restless and the 13-man Dragons desperately needed to get back into their changing room without further damage.

They managed that and started the second half on the front foot to reduce the deficit, kicking a penalty to the corner for hooker Elliot Dee to peel off a driving lineout and wriggle over.

Lewis converted to make it 21-7 with 35 minutes to complete the comeback… but instead the Saints had their five-point haul secured when Ribbans went over after a series of power carries in the 22.

The game got messy but the Dragons edged seven points closer entering the final quarter when centre Jarryd Sage, who tried manfully throughout, carried hard in the 22 and wasn’t held, so got to his feet and went over for a try that Lewis converted.

At 28-14 there was remarkably still a chance of a consolation bonus, or even a draw, yet that was killed off by a brilliant finish from replacement scrum-half Cobus Reinach.

The former Springbok snaffled the ball from opposite number Rhodri Davies and sprinted away from deep inside his own half, using the greasy surface to slide over with Jordan Williams closing in.

The Dragons had the final say with a penalty try from a driving lineout, Reinach seeing yellow with the clock in the red, but the European campaign is in danger of being over before the turn of the year.

Dragons: J Williams (W Talbot-Davies 77), Z Kirchner, T Morgan, J Sage, J Rosser (A Warren 10), J Lewis, R Williams (R Davies 64), B Harris (A Jarvis 69), E Dee (R Hibbard 69), L Brown (L Fairbrother 51), L Evans (M Screech 61), C Hill (captain), A Wainwright, O Griffiths (H Taylor 65), R Moriarty.
Scorers: tries – E Dee, J Sage, penalty try; conversions – J Lewis (2)

Northampton: A Tuala (L Burrell 69), T Collins, A Kellaway, P Francis, T Naiyaravoro, D Biggar (J Grayson 40), A Mitchell (C Reinach 64), A Waller (captain, F Van Wyk), M Haywood (J Fish 69), B Franks (E Painter 57), D Ribbans (D Barrow 61), C Lawes (L Ludlam 69), J Gibson, T Wood, T Harrison.
Scorers: tries – D Ribbans (2), A Mitchell, penalty try, C Reinach; conversions – D Biggar (2), J Grayson (2)

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Argus star man: Jarryd Sage
Attendance: 4,634