Sam Davies the hero for Dragons

Sam Davies booted a penalty with the last kick of the game as the Dragons beat the Cheetahs 13-10 in a scrappy Guinness PRO14 clash at Rodney Parade.

Wing Jared Rosser scored the only try for the Dragons, while fly-half Davies kicked his side’s other points, including the winner. Cheetahs had taken the lead early on with a Junior Pokomela try, playmaker Tian Schoeman adding the conversion and a penalty.

Conditions underfoot were tricky, to say the least, but the Dragons could not blame the gluepot of a pitch for the visitors’ opening score, which came from Jack Dixon having a kick charged down. The centre did his best to rescue the situation, but Cheetahs openside Pokomela took the ball from a ruck to burrow over.

The Dragons responded by winning a penalty in a promising position, but Davies, in going for touch, kicked the ball dead, although the weather did play its part. At the other end, Schoeman made the hosts pay with a three-pointer after the Dragons had been penalised for a ruck infringement.

The South Africans were looking the more likely to score next, and only good covering from Rosser prevented opposite wing Craig Barry gathering his own chip ahead.

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Dixon was involved again as the Dragons pressed. However, a chance of getting on the scoreboard went awry when he knocked on 10 metres out. There was very little to get excited about in the remainder of a largely poor first half.

The home side started the second period much the better, and they eventually got some points when Davies slotted an easy penalty. He just missed another attempt soon after, before kicking the conversion that brought the hosts level.

Some SA sand-bagging ahead of Storm Jorge…https://t.co/ZKqBGTPGAB

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2020

The try came from an initial burst by flanker Taine Basham, which was followed by Rosser collecting Dixon’s kick to dive over. With the game still tied entering the final 10 minutes, you sensed the next score was going to be the match-winner.

Davies thought he would try and win it with six minutes left, but his snap drop-goal did not get off the ground. The Dragons remained on the front foot and, after Davies had tried, and failed, to win it with a long-range penalty right in the 80th minute, he was then given another opportunity from closer in which he duly nailed.

– Press Association 

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