STADE FRANCAIS PARIS 31 – 36 DRAGONS RFC It was third time lucky for the Welsh regions in the EPCR Challenge Cup as the Dragons conjured up a 79th minute try beat Stade Francais in Paris and earn themselves a quarter final trip to either Zebre or Pau. Having seen both Cardiff and the Ospreys […]
STADE FRANCAIS PARIS 31 – 36 DRAGONS RFC
It was third time lucky for the Welsh regions in the EPCR Challenge Cup as the Dragons conjured up a 79th minute try beat Stade Francais in Paris and earn themselves a quarter final trip to either Zebre or Pau.
Having seen both Cardiff and the Ospreys have claims for what would have been matchwinning scores in the 78th minute of their respective ties against Benetton Rugby and Ulster the Dragons powered their way to a sensational victory in the French capital.
Having sped into a 17-point lead at Stade Jean Bouin, the scene of one of their greatest European victories over the same opponents in 2014, the Dragons then saw the home side hit back to cut the gap to three points at the break.
Then the Parisians went on to lead 24-17 and 31 -24 in the second half. As the clock moved towards the red it looked as though another brave Welsh effort was going to come up just short, but then came the sting in the tail.
Elliot Dee, like full back Angus O’Brien a survivor from the win in 2014, crashed over in the 69th minute and then former Wales and British & Irish Lions prop Wyn Jones finished things off with a try in the 79th minute that proved to be the matchwinner.
Those two tries were among four from the Dragons front row contingent as Wales caps Brodie Coghlan and Chris Coleman also got in on the action.
An electrifying start from the Dragons saw them notch tries from O’Brien and Coghlan to throw down the gauntlet to their hosts. O’Brien converted both and kicked a penalty on his way to a match haul fo 16 points.
Twelve years earlier he had scored 18 points in the earlier triumph and once again he was the talisman for the Men of Gwent. Those 17 points came in the opening 17 minutes and forced Stade Francais, sitting in third place in the Top 14, to react.
A brace of tries in as many minutes before the break by Spanish international centre Sam Ezeala got them back on course. Louis Foursans-Bourdette converted them both to cut the gap to three points at the break.
The Parisians added a third try in the space of seven minut4s either side of the interval when No 8 Yoan Tanga burst into the line five minutes after the re-start to put the home side ahead for the first time.
Foursans-Bourdette converted and then kicked a penalty to make it 24-17, but the Dragons were in no mood to capitulate, and Coleman crashed over from close range for a try that O’Brien improved to level the scores just short of the hour mark.
Once again. it was anyone’s game and when Eseala, named Man of the Match, drove over for his hat-trick try five minutes later it was another blow for the visitors. Zach Henry converted to make it 31-24.
But cometh the hour, cometh the Men of Gwent. Dee converted a driving maul for a try that cut the gap to two points and then Jones grabbed the headlines with his last gasp try that O’Brien converted to put the final seal on an amazing win on the road for the Dragons and their supporters.