Bayonne 15

Dragons 32

NEWPORT Gwent Drag-ons covered themselves with glory as they stormed into the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup with a magnificent bonus point victory over Bayonne at Stade Jean Dauger last night.

The Dragons trailed 8-3 at the interval and 15-8 soon after, but they ran riot in the final stages, scoring three tries in the last 10 minutes, two of them by skipper Kevin Morgan, to clinch a wonderful victory.

They now have to wait for tomorrow's results to learn whether they have qualified with a home draw in the last eight.

But considering their demanding recent programme this was a mighty effort by the Dragons to come from behind and run out such comfortable winners.

The Dragons suffered a blow on the morning of the match when teenage centre Ashley Smith pulled out with a shoulder injury. Ceri Sweeney moved to inside centre with Mike Hercus coming in at outside half and Gareth Chapman on the bench.

But hooker Ben Daly had recovered from his calf injury after midweek concerns about the position.

Bayonne chose their strongest side, but both half backs withdrew with the flu.

Hundreds of Dragons fans were inside the impressive stadium as well as board members whose flight from Bristol was cancelled due to the storms but then made the tortuous journey via the overnight ferry in a gale force 10 from Poole to Cherbourg, followed by an eight-hour drive.

The temperature was still in the sixties as Vermis kicked off for Bayonne, but the Dragons went ahead after only two minutes when Sweeney kicked a penalty after a driving line-out was checked illegally.

But Bayonne hit back hard and both wings Lhande and Thierry ran well before number eight Baget was brought down inches from the line.

The Dragons were under heavy pressure and twice fighting broke out among the forwards near their line, just as they had feared before the game, rival locks Bergez and Luke Charteris both yellow carded by the Italian referee.

Michael Owen, however, relieved the siege by stealing home line-out ball and Paul Emerick ran well only to lose the ball in the tackle.

Back came Bayonne and when they spurned a penalty from almost in front but went for touch instead they were rewarded by number eight Baget crashing over for a try.

The Dragons weathered the storm and looked promising when Ian Gough won a line-out and skipper Kevin Morgan, who had just been upended heavily, almost broke through.

Aled Brew then sidestepped through and put Gareth Wyatt away into the home 22. Gough won another line-out and the Dragons drove to within a few feet of the line where Bayonne were penalised for illegally pulling down, but Sweeney missed the target, perhaps put off by constant chanting from the home crowd.

The Dragons lost prop Lee Harrison with a recurrence of his foot injury after 29 minutes, Gethin Robinson replacing him in his first appearance of the season.

But the Dragons fell further behind when Vermis chipped through. When the covering Walker was held Vermis promptly kicked the penalty, the outside half then just missing a 50-yard shot.

Bayonne made four changes at half-time, three in the front five. Immediately the Dragons went for it, Emerick running well, and when the ball was moved quickly to the left Aled Brew shot through the middle and accelerated away on the outside for a cracking try in the corner.

Gareth Cooper went on for Walker, but the Dragons lost Emerick for preventing release. Jamie Ringer and Owen combined well, but Sweeney knocked on badly and worse was to follow when Hercus glaringly missed opposite number Vermis who swept over between the posts for a try he converted himself.

Bayonne were rampant now, number eight Baget causing big problems with his running, but the Dragons again defended stoutly and even hit back with a fine try.

Owen twice featured in a sweeping move, Robinson also running well through the middle, Owen finally sending out one of his booming specials where Morgan gathered and dashed across. Sweeney converted in grand style from near the touchline.

The Dragons now piled on the pressure and Wyatt, Daly and Colin Charvis all nearly made it to the line before Andrew Hall, who had replaced Gough, belted through on the crash ball to put the Dragons back in front. Sweeney again converted from wide out.

The Dragons were now transformed and Morgan streaked through again for his second try, the vital one for it secured the bonus point, after being put away by Brew, Sweeney converting yet again. Emerick was the victim of a bad tackle deep into injury time and Sweeney, who couldn't miss now, blasted another great kick over.

Bayonne: Fromont (Berberian 63), Lhande, Dourthe (captain), Onigo (Hegarty 15), Thierry (Ngog 40), Vermis (Ternisien 69), Rouet, Coetzee (Tomuli 61), Laurent (Heguy 40), Tomuli (Iguiniz 40), Linde. Bergez (Tewhata 40), Rudzki, Baget, Davies.

Scorers - tries: Baget, Vermis; conversion: Vermis; penalty: Vermis.

Newport Gwent Dragons: K Morgan (captain), G Wyatt, P Emerick, C Sweeney, A Brew, M Hercus, A Walker (G Cooper 49), A Black, B Daly (R Wilkes 80), L Harrison (G Robinson 29), I Gough (A Hall 60), L Charteris, C Charvis, M Owen (N Fitisemanu 60), J Ringer.

Scorers - tries: A Brew, K Morgan (2), A Hall conversions: C Sweeney (3); penalties: Sweeney (2).

Referee: Mr S Mancini (Italy) Attendance: