Dragons Beat Connacht In Basement Battle

…Connacht’s Tongan international Andrew Mailei on the attack at Rodney Parade…

Connacht were unfortunate to lose and ultimately miss out on a bonus point in Friday’s Celtic League clash with the Dragons at Rodney Parade.

CELTIC LEAGUE: Friday, January 6

Newport Gwent Dragons 27 Connacht 19, Rodney Parade (Att: 4,773)

Scorers: Dragons: Tries: Gareth Chapman, Michael Owen, Penalty try, Jason Forster; Cons: Craig Warlow 2; Pen: Warlow

Connacht: Tries: David Slemen; Con: Slemen; Pen: Slemen 3, Warwick

DRAGONS: Sione Tuipulotu; Gareth Chapman, Hal Luscombe, Jon Bryant, Ben Breeze; Craig Warlow, Gareth Cooper; Adam Black, Steve Jones, Rhys Thomas, Ian Gough, Peter Sidoli, Andrew Hall, Jason Forster (capt), Michael Owen.

Replacements used: Jamie Ringer for Hall (60 mins), Bryn Griffiths for Gough (80). Not used: Andrew Brown, David Maddocks, Gethin Robinson, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Baber.

CONNACHT: Matt Mostyn (capt); John Hearty, Andrew Mailei, Keith Matthews, Conor McPhillips; David Slemen, Chris Keane; Dan McFarland, Joe Merrigan, Adrian Clarke, Christian Short, David Gannon, Michael Swift, Matt Lacey, Colm Rigney.

Replacements used: Mark McHugh for Hearty (40 mins), John Fogarty for Merrigan, Stephen Knoop for Clarke, Andrew Gallagher for Gannon (all half-time), Paul Warwick for Slemen (55), Brendan O’Connor for Swift (65), Adrian Clarke for O’Connor (68-77), Tom Tierney for Keane (75).

Sin Bin: Dan McFarland (Connacht) (67 mins).

Referee: Ian Heard (Scotland)