TIME will tell how important three minutes and 21 seconds on opening weekend will be in the grand scheme of the Dragons’ season.
The 23-21 victory against the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship felt like a big moment for the Rodney Parade club, but we’ve been here before and got burned.
The Dragons clocked back in on Monday morning to start work towards making sure that wonderful Saturday afternoon, when their ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ victory song boomed out of the home changing room, isn’t just one of a handful of highs over the coming eight months.
Dai Flanagan’s men ensured they started the season with four match points rather than a consolation bonus thanks to a superb attack with the clock in the red.
Tighthead Luke Yendle barged over for a try (crucially converted by Lloyd Evans) on the 26th phase, all of which were played with jeopardy.
At no stake did referee Ben Breakspear’s arm go out to signal penalty advantage, one slip and it would have been another sob story.
Instead, the hard graft from a summer split between USW Sports Park in Treforest the Dragons’ training base at CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence paid off.
“It was exactly what we have worked on in pre-season regarding being better and more clinical under pressure and fatigue. There is no bigger pressure than being in the 80th minute,” said head coach Flanagan.
“What really pleased me was the calmness in the group, even when we were two metres off their line nobody panicked.”
It took almost two minutes and 16 phases for the Dragons to get close to the Ospreys’ line, and the winner actually started through a Dragons mistake.
Angus O’Brien missed touch with a penalty, Jack Walsh fielded it in his 22 with 25 seconds remaining and opted to clear over the side.
The Ospreys full-back, fresh from being named as official man of the match, only booted it to around 35 metres out.
Would running it back for one more phase to get to 80 minutes have been an option for the visitors? Easy to say in hindsight.
Take a bow @DragonsRFC 👏#BKTURC #URC | #DRAvOSP pic.twitter.com/nO0hBju66d
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) September 21, 2024
Dragons hooker James Benjamin hit number eight Shane Lewis-Hughes with the lineout and they drove until told to use it, with Jac Morgan warned to get out of the maul as he tried to spoil.
There were then five carries to the right (centre Aneurin Owen, flanker Harri Keddie, Benjamin, centre Harry Wilson, wing Jared Rosser) then three to the left (lock Ben Carter, fly-half Lloyd Evans, Wilson).
Five more carries (lock George Nott, flanker Dan Lydiate, Evans, Benjamin, Lewis-Hughes) followed as the Dragons had to hold their nerve playing just outside the 22 before a key moment.
Scrum-half Rhodri Williams sniped on the 15th phase and got the Dragons on the front foot in the 22 with wing Rio Dyer then making big yards and Wilson coming up with a crucial clear out as Justin Tipuric sniffed a turnover.
Then came the heavy carries in the pick and go – Nott, loosehead Rhodri Jones, Carter, tighthead Yendle, Lewis-Hughes, Jones again, Nott again and then winger Jared Rosser.
A key intervention by referee Breakspear as the Ospreys tried to hold up the attacker on the line: "no it's not, it's short, it's coming here, leave it".
Another carry by Lewis-Hughes and then Yendle powered over by the posts.
Fourteen of the Dragons carried the ball in the attack and the one man who didn’t, O’Brien, distributed three times and then directed traffic.
His older brother Matt, Dragons attack coach, has previously earned the nickname of ‘the puppet master’ for pulling the strings at Newport RFC. It runs in the family.
“Angus stepped up a bit more into that first and second receiver role and was pulling people into position,” said Flanagan.
“Our forwards didn’t look like they were panicking and were clear in putting the right numbers into the breakdown.
“We were physical around that breakdown against an Ospreys side that had Justin Tipuric and Jac Morgan, who usually affect moments like that. We were able to stay calm, be physical over the ball and not let them in.
“We haven’t had one of those moments since I have arrived – it has happened to us – so it was a really good feeling to finish that way.”
All 15 players featured in the try and Flanagan was quick to point to the work of his coaching staff.
“The physical edge that we showed came from pre-season and also the detail that Matt O’Brien has put into our 22-metre attack. It was right at the front of everyone’s mind in that moment,” he said.
“Certain people in our changing room and in our coaching office can be really proud of that try.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here