Jump to main content
A tale of two halves

A tale of two halves

The Dragons failed to build on a healthy half-time lead as they were beaten by Connacht in Galway.

Share this page:

It was the Dragons’ third defeat on Irish soil so far this term but really should have been a second successive league win.

Having seen off Aironi at Rodney Parade last weekend, the Dragons appeared to be on their way to a first league success at The Sportsground since May 2004. A Nathan Williams try on the half-hour mark and two penalties from the boot of Jason Tovey compared to just the one from Niall O’Connor saw the visitors open up a 10-point lead at the break.

Williams crashed over from close-range after good work from Matthew Pewtner, with Tovey converting and then quickly adding a second penalty to move the Dragons 13-3 in front after the first 40 minutes.

But the second half belonged to Connacht, with the home team asserting their authority following the introduction of replacement halfbacks Paul O’Donohoe and Matthew Jarvis.

Eoin Griffin brought Connacht back into the game with a try on the hour before skipper Gavin Duffy scored late on to secure an impressive comeback.

Jarvis added both touchline conversions, the first to bring Connacht back to within three points and the second to leave the Dragons requiring a try as opposed to a penalty or drop goal to win the game.

The result sees Connacht jump up to second in the standings with three wins from four games, while the Dragons slip to 10th in the 12-team league.

Partners and Suppliers

Principal Partners
Principality
Admiral
A tale of two halves
Vodafone
Go.Compare
Official Broadcast Partners
S4C
BBC Cymru/Wales
Official Partners
Guinness
A tale of two halves
A tale of two halves
Heineken
A tale of two halves
The Indigo Group
A tale of two halves
Official Suppliers
Gilbert
A tale of two halves
Rhino Rugby
Sportseen
A tale of two halves
A tale of two halves
Princes Gate
A tale of two halves
Amber
Opro
Total Energies
Seat Unique
A tale of two halves
Castell Howell
Glamorgan Brewing
Ted Hopkins
Hawes & Curtis
A tale of two halves