Newport Gwent Dragons 14-3 Connacht
PAT LEACH SCORED the only try as the Newport Gwent Dragons downed Connacht and snapped a run of seven straight losses in all competitions.
Eric Elwood’s men were made to pay when hooker Jason Harris-Wright and flanker Andrew Browne were sent to the sin bin in the first half, and the Dragons used their numerical advantage to set the tone for the evening.
Tom Prydie kicked the first of three penalties to cancel out Dan Parks’ opening score and then with three minutes to the break, Leach crossed to send the hosts in 8-3 in front.
Connacht’s chances were scarce and when Pro12 top scorer Prydie added two more penalties shortly after the restart, it was enough to condemn the Irish province to their third successive away defeat in the competition.
Scoring sequence: Parks pen, 0-3 6 mins; Prydie pen, 3-3 25mins; Leach try, 8-3 37 mins; Prydie pen, 11-3 46 mins; Prydie pen, 14-3 52 mins.
Dragons: Prydie; Harries, Leach, Smith, Chavhanga; D Evans, W Evans; Price, Gustafson, Way; A Jones, Sidoli; L Evans, Cudd, Brown. Replacements: S Jones, O Evans, Buck, Nimmo, I Jones, Robling, Dixon.
Connacht: Henshaw; O’Halloran, Poolman, McSharry, Duffy; Parks, Marmion; Buckley, Harris-Wright, White; Swift, Kearney; Browne, Faloon, McKeon. Replacements: Reynecke, Ah You, Loughney, Gannon, O’Connor, Moore, Nikora, Leader.
