IT WASN'T PRETTY - WHO CARES?
Dragons: 16 Edinburgh: 17
If you're looking for a report featuring high quality writing, tries from all angles, and a bravura performance by Kenny Logan, then you're in the wrong place. Try Mr McMurtrie's legendary column on the Glasgow site. But if you're after wars of attrition, tireless defence, and a twist in the tale, then stick around. We have something that might fit the bill.
The Gunners prevailed at Rodney Parade tonight in a game that was short on attacking quality, but long on character. It was sheer guts that won this match for the visitors; guts and coolness under pressure as Brendan Laney struck the long range penalty on the stroke of no-side that gave the Gunners a famous victory over the Dragons; the first home loss that the Gwent side have sustained since the advent of regional rugby in the Principality. Although the performance was not the best, it will give the Gunners the belief that they will need if they are to win here in the Heineken early next year.
The opening exchanges were fairly cagey, with the Gunners' defence looking solid during early Dragon pressure, with inside centre Winn looking dangerous. Warlow opened the scoring on nine minutes with a penalty for a ruck offence, while Laney missed the chance to draw level immediately after Sidoli had stamped on Kellock away from a subsequent ruck. The Dragons were putting in some good work close in, but good Gunners defence meant that they only had another Warlow penalty to show for it in the first quarter.
With 25 minutes gone, the first signs of life in the Gunners' attack appeared. First, Morgan had to look lively to beat Webster to a huge Laney clearance bobbling invitingly in the home 22. Then a Laney jink put Boston through the gap on halfway and streaking into the red zone. But slow ball at the ruck allowed the defence to get back and repel subsequent Edinburgh phases. The young inside centre featured soon after, when he took the ball up after a driving maul, offloading nicely to Di Rollo, who knocked on close in.
More suspect Newport footwork saw the Gunners kick the penalty to touch in the corner and set up the driving maul. Unfortunately, the subsequent Laney miss pass missed the entire backline, allowing the Dragons to clear the pressure once more.
What momentum there was was beginning to go the Gunners way, but then Smith was carded for his third ruck offence. He could have little complaint, as the referee had just told both captains that he would stop penalising and start carding for handling in the ruck, as both sides had been up to their fair share of skulduggery from the off. Consistency is one of the great whistling virtues, so some bemusement was caused even among locals by his failure to card a Dragon for precisely the same offence five minutes later. But the Gunners made it to the break on the offensive, with Webster and Di Rollo showing up well in attack and defence. Sadly, Webster, who had looked the most lively back on the park, was injured and replaced by Dewey at half-time.
The Dragons began the second half strongly, putting more pace on the ball, and it took excellent tackles by Cross, Laney, then Kellock to keep them out in the early stages of the second period. But Blackadder was carded on 46 minutes for not retreating ten metres at a penalty - again, an offence for which the same sanction was not imposed for an identical home offence later in the game. The Dragons this time took advantage of the power play, with Forster forcing his way over for the converted try to give the home side a 13-0 cushion. While the Gunners were turning over plenty of ball and getting into useful positions, the spark was just not there.
But the momentum really did begin to swing back their way on the hour. With Blackadder still in the bin, Edinburgh scored the quintessential opportunist try. Joel Brannigan turned over ball on the visitors' 22. A massive clearance was guddled by the Dragons defence. The flying Dewey picked up inside his own half and skinned the defence, only to be caught inches from the line. From the breakdown, the Chainsaw had textbook writers in tears as he weaved his way across field in fairly unorthodox fashion, only to chuck the ball at Lee on the right wing, who crossed the line, manoeuvred a little and touched down, Laney converting.
Better was to come ten minutes later as the Gunners put in some phases in the home 22. MacDonald saw the gap open at the side of a ruck, scooted through and offloaded to Callam, who galloped over to touch down under the posts for the try, goaled by Laney. 14-13 Gunners.
Warlow knocked over a penalty with seven minutes to go, leaving the home crowd thinking the match was over. But gradually, the Gunners fought back. Godman had several good half-breaks, and Dewey looked dangerous when he had the ball. But with the game heading into injury time, Gough hit the floor and required lengthy treatment. Then Bryan sustained a nasty-looking knee injury that required some four minutes of treatment. Had these stoppages finally killed the Gunners' challenge?
Happily, they had not. A string of Dragon penalties with the Gunners on the attack culminated in an offside on halfway with six minutes of injury time on the clock. All that remained was for the crowd to boo, the ol' gunslinger to step up to the mark, and the ball to sail through the uprights for the Gunners' win.
Back home on League duty next Friday night for a tough clash with Munster. The Gunners showed their fierce commitment to the cause tonight. Will you show yours at Murrayfield next week?
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Not an easy task. IAN GOUGH.
SCORERS:
DRAGONS: Warlow 3P 1C, Forster 1T
EDINBURGH: Laney 1P 2C, Lee 1T, Callam 1T
TEAMS:
DRAGONS: K Morgan; G Wyatt, S Winn, S Tuipulotu, B Brew; C Warlow, G Baber; R Snow, J Richards, C Anthony, I Gough, P Sidoli, J Ringer, J Forster (capt), R Bryan. Replacements: K Crawford, A Black, R Thomas, R Beattie, R Oakley, B Breeze, J Bryant.
EDINBURGH: D Lee; C Joiner, M Di Rollo, P Boston, S Webster; B Laney, R Lawson; C Smith, A Kelly, J Brannigan, F Pringle, A Kellock, T Blackadder, D Callam, S Cross. Replacements: D Hall, A Dickinson, A Strokosch, A MacDonald, J Blackwood, P Godman, R Dewey.
Referee: Stanley (Ireland)