Six-try Dragons storm back to sink Scarlets
WRAP: Dragons produced a superb second-half display to beat Welsh rivals Scarlets 38-26 and earn a first Vodacom United Rugby Championship win of the campaign.
A brace by Macs Page earned Scarlets a slender lead at the break, but Rodrigo Martinez scored straight after the restart to inspire a brilliant six-try victory for Dragons.
Elliot Dee helped himself to a double with Anzelo Tuitavuki, Huw Anderson and Rob Hunt also on the scoreboard in a bonus-point success for the hosts in Newport.
After a trip along the M4 to Rodney Parade, Scarlets started strongly with Page crossing over in the second minute during a back and forth opening 40.
Dragons replied through Tuitavuki before Dee’s try put them ahead after 23 minutes, but Page grabbed a second with Sam Costelow’s second successful conversion giving Scarlets a 14-12 half-time lead.
The hosts required a strong response and Martinez crashed over within 60 seconds of the restart and while Sam O’Connor responded for Scarlets, Anderson’s 65th-minute score was followed by further efforts for Dee and Hunt to give Dragons bragging rights in the all-Welsh clash.
Dragons 38-26 Scarlets
The scorers:
For Dragons:
Tries: Tuitavuki, Dee 2, Martinez, Anderson, Hunt
Cons: De Beer 3, Lloyd
For Scarlets:
Tries: Page 2, O’Connor, Jones
Cons: Costelow 3
Teams:
Dragons: 15 Huw Anderson, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Fine Inisi, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Anzelo Tuitavuki, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Harri Keddie, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 5 Ben Carter (captain), 4 Seb Davies, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Rodrigo Martinez
Replacements: 16 Brodie Coghlan, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Ryan Woodman, 20 Harry Beddall, 21 Che Hope, 22 Jac Lloyd, 23 Fetuli Paea
Scarlets: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Eddie James, 11 Macs Page, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Dane Blacker, 8 Osian Williams, 7 Dan Davis, 6 Josh Macleod (captain), 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Alex Groves, 3 Harri O’Connor, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 John McKee, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Gabe Hawley, 19 Will Evans, 20 Tristan Davies, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Joe Hawkins, 23 Johnny Williams.
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (WRU), Marcus Caudle (WRU)
TMO: Keith David (WRU)
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