Dragons win and make Heineken Cup

9:37pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

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Dragons 18

Ospreys 10

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons made it a double celebration at Rodney Parade when they ended their eight match run without a win by beating a second string Ospreys team and qualified for next season's Heineken Cup as well.

ERC, Europe's governing body, ruled yesterday that as the Italians could not meet the deadline for the play-off the best non-qualifier from the Magners League would go straight into the Heineken Cup, and the Dragons clinched that position with their victory over the Ospreys.

Fittingly, the player who secured it was Dragons captain Colin Charvis with a second half try and a performance which could yet earn him a place on Wales' forthcoming tour to South Africa. But again it was hardly convincing by the Dragons as they struggled to put the weakened opposition away.

It took them just five minutes to get off the mark in virtually their first attack. Ceri Sweeney's pass near the Ospreys 22 actually failed to go to hand, but Kevin Morgan picked the bouncing ball up and simply kept going for the line as the defence held off him.

The Dragons were denied a second try for a marginal forward pass as Richard Fussell burst clear with no-one in front of him.

But they went further ahead after 18 minutes when Sweeney kicked a penalty, though that was cancelled out a minute later when Shaun Connor, joining the Dragons next season, landed a penalty, made easier after the Dragons showed dissent.

The Ospreys lost centre Jonathan Spratt, yellow carded for killing the ball, the Dragons opted for a scrum and when the Ospreys were penalised again Sweeney landed the goal.

No sooner had Spratt returned than the Ospreys had another player yellow carded when scrum half Rhys Webb high tackled Fussell badly.

But though down to 14 men it was the Ospreys who struck with a try, young full back Gareth Owen leaving defenders trailing in his wake before putting Connor over on the inside. Connor also converted to make it 11-10 to the Dragons at the interval.

The Ospreys threatened when replacement Filo Tiatia, Tom Smith and Spratt handled before Steve Tandy almost made it to the line and Connor was wide with a dropped goal shot.

The Dragons' efforts grew increasingly hamfisted as Sweeney kicked the ball dead, Rhodri Davies fell over and Wayne Evans knocked on.

But finally they succeeded when captain Colin Charvis supported a run by Phil Dollman, picking up his inside pass and crashing over for a try which Sweeney converted.

Newport Gwent Dragons: K Morgan, G Wyatt, R Davies (P Emerick 71), P Dollman, R Fussell, C Sweeney, W Evans, A Black (H Gustafson 64), B Daly (S Jones 64), L Harrison (G Robinson 69), A Jones (A Hall 69), L Charteris, C Charvis (captain), M Owen (L Evans 50), R Parks.

Scorers -- tries: K Morgan, C Charvis; conversion: C Sweeney; penalties: Sweeney (2).

Ospreys: G Owen, L Bevan, M Taylor (A Beck 37-40, 77), J Spratt, A Brew, S Connor (K Phillips 62), R Webb (M Roberts 71) P James (captain), R Hibbard (E Shervington 64), C Griffiths (C Mitchell 77), A Lloyd (M Powell 71), L Bateman, H T-Pole (F Tiatia 41-44, 62), T Smith, S Tandy.

Scorers -- try: S Connor; conversion: Connor; penalty: Connor .

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU).

Attendance: 6,308.