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Dragons upset Ospreys to get URC season off to a ripper
By PA
Dragons stunned Ospreys 23-21 in the United Rugby Championship thanks to a dramatic converted try by replacement prop Luke Yendle.
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It looked like the Swansea side would take the spoils in Newport thanks to tries by centre Keiran Williams and wing Ryan Conbeer, plus 11 points from the boot of fly-half Dan Edwards.
However, Dragons struck with the clock in the red when they hammered away for Yendle to add to the first-half try by flanker Harri Keddie, Lloyd Evans adding the crucial conversion to take his points tally to 13.
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It was a huge win against the Welsh Shield holders by a side who finished one from bottom of the URC last season.
Both kickers had early settlers with Evans putting Dragons in front on his debut only for Edwards to cancel out that penalty from the tee.
Ospreys scored the first try of the afternoon in the 20th minute when centre Williams was put under the posts by wing Luke Morgan.
Edwards converted to make it 10-3 but Dragons then scored 10 unanswered points to move back in front.
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Evans kicked a penalty and then Keddie finished off a terrific move down the right wing, going over from lock Matthew Screech’s offload.
The Dragons fly-half added the extras for a 13-10 lead but it was Ospreys that had the edge at the break courtesy of two Edwards penalties.
They stretched that lead five minutes after the restart when full-back Jack Walsh made a line break to put Conbeer in down the left for a debut try.
The conversion was missed but Evans also failed from the tee with a penalty attempt and it remained 21-13 to Ospreys going into the final quarter.
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Dragons were reduced to 14 men in the 69th minute when replacement hooker James Benjamin paid the price for a high team penalty count.
The hosts got within striking distance with three minutes to go from the boot of Evans and then levelled through Yendle, with the fly-half’s conversion winning it.
