Connacht cling on for nervy but vital victory in Wales 

Westerners hopes of making it to the knockout stages of the URC season stay on course after 22-20 win over the Dragons

ROARING HOME: Jarrad Butler of Connacht Rugby celebrates scoring a try. Pic: INPHO/Andy Watts

Dragons 20 Connacht 22 

Connacht’s hopes of a knockout spot in the URC remain on course after they survived a nerve-wrecking encounter at Rodney Parade where they failed to make the most of an extra man for over half the game.

But a fourth win on the trot leaves them with a great chance of making the play-offs, not least as two of their three remaining games are at home.

Dragons, bidding to end a seven-match losing run, blew several chances in the closing stages to secure victory but Connacht held on for a win which keeps them on course for a knockout spot.

Dragons played out the closing eight minutes of the opening half with just 13 men on the field but Connacht were not able to make the numerical advantage count and went in level at 10-10.

David Hawkshaw, in for skipper Jack Carty who suffered a hamstring injury before the game, got Connacht off the mark with a penalty after ten minutes but Dragons hit back and a superb break from hooker Bradley Roberts saw winger Ashton Hewitt send flanker Aaron Wainwright over for a quality try which Will Reed converted.

Connacht, having butchered a couple of good try scoring chances when Niall Murray and Cian Prendergast failed to connect just short of the line after earlier messing up a five-metre lineout in the right corner, finally got over after 22 minutes when an excellent offload by tighthead Jack Aungier put Prendergast through and he fended off full-back Angus O’Brien to score a convert try.

Reed levelled with a penalty from 45 metres two minutes later before the tie swung in Connacht’s favour when Dragons suffered a double card blow as the visitors built an 18-phase movement. Centre Max Clark was binned for an infringement and then, on review, lock Matthew Screech was sent off for a high tackle on Conor Oliver.

Connacht opted for three reset scrums from the infringement and after Paul Boyle got over but couldn’t ground the ball as out-half Reed got a leg under it, they lost the momentum when they coughed up a penalty for collapsing the scrum and went in deadlocked at 10-10.

It got more difficult for Connacht on the restart when they tried to go wide and exploit the extra men but Tom Farrell’s slow pass was picked off outside the 22 by winger Jared Rosser who sprinted to score under the posts. Reed converted and then tacked on a penalty to lead 20-10 after 47 minutes before Connacht got a foothold when Jarrad Butler, just on the field, pounced when they turned over a Dragons scrum five metres from their own line.

They hit the front going into the final quarter when they got a drive after a penalty to the left corner with replacement hooker Dave Heffernan getting the credit, although skipper on the night Caolin Blade was also on hand at the key moment.

That edged them 22-20 in front but winger Shayne Bolton was binned for a tackle in the air on O’Brien and that gave Dragons another foothold. They were unable to make it count, with Rhodri Williams failing to hold an inside pass with a clear run to the line, while Farrell somehow denied O’Brien with a superb tackle and then winger Hewitt was prevented from grounding the ball over the line by Blade.

Three minutes from time Sam Davies, who earlier had missed a penalty, hit the left post with a drop goal attempt and Connacht held on for a priceless victory, Davies missing another drop in the final minute.

Scorers: Dragons: Tries: A Wainwright, J Rosser. Cons: W Reed (2). Pens: Reed (2).

Connacht: Tries: C Prendergast, J Butler, D Heffernan. Cons: D Hawkshaw (2). Pen: Hawkshaw.

Dragons: A O’Brien; J Rosser, S Hughes, M Clark, A Hewitt; W Reed (S Davies 62), R Williams (c); R Jones (A Seiuli 70), B Roberts (E Dee 51), L Brown (L Fairbrother 54); M Screech, B Carter; A Wainwright (G Nott 57), T Basham (H Keddie 51), R Moriarty.

Connacht: T O’Halloran; S Bolton (S Jennings 74), T Farrell, C Forde, J Porch; D Hawkshaw, C Blade; D Buckley (P Dooley 57), D Tierney-Martin (D Heffernan 57), J Aungier (S Illo 33); J Murphy (O Dowling 57), N Murray; C Prendergast, C Oliver, P Boyle (J Butler 50).

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy).