Dragons Maintain Perfect Home Form

Newport Gwent Dragons 34 - 22 Edinburgh Rugby Rodney Parade   Att: 3,012 Referee: Olan Trevor Saturday 1st November 2003, 18:00

The Dragons maintained their 100 per cent record at Rodney Parade with a hard-fought 34-22 victory over Edinburgh, and in doing so they move up five places to fifth in the Celtic League table

It was their fourth straight home win, the Dragons earning the points thanks to their three-to-one try count. In a tight match dominated by the kickers, the Dragons did not seal their victory until seven minutes from time. After winning a scrum against the head, home scrum-half Gareth Baber chipped ahead just outside the Edinburgh 22. When opposite number Graeme Burns missed the ball, Baber was up to gather and score. Outside half Craig Warlow converted from the touchline and put his side clear at 34-22. Before then Dragons' outstanding flanker Jason Forster had grabbed tries after breaking away from mauls in the 10th and 53rd minutes and Warlow had kicked five penalty goals. Opposite number Brendan Laney had kicked three and replacement Alistair Warnock two when Laney was off the field with blood streaming from his nose. That was the result of a 17th-minute collision with Dragons fullback Sione Tuipulotu, who was also off briefly with a cut eye. On a cold evening both sides tried to play expansive rugby but Newport always looked the more dangerous and might have gained a bonus point in the final minutes when Forster was held on the line as he went for his hat trick. It was a pity a splendid display by Tuipulotu, on permit from Welsh Premier Division side Newport, was spoilt when his dropping the ball on his 22 led to Laney's try, when he received from the resultant scrum and scythed through unopposed between the posts.

Newport Gwent Dragons V Edinburgh Rugby   P D C T Pos Player Player Pos T C D P   Sione Tuipulotu 15 Hugo Southwell Nathan Brew 14 Conan Sharman Hal Luscombe 13 Marcus Di Rollo Andy Marinos 12 Craig Joiner Ben Breeze 11 Simon Webster 5 2 Craig Warlow 10 Brendan Laney 1 1 3 1 Gareth Baber 9 Graeme Burns Adam Black 1 Ramin Mathieson Steve Jones 2 Carlo Di Ciacca Chris Anthony 3 Joel Brannigan Ian Gough 4 Guy Perrett Peter Sidoli 5 Alastair Kellock Jamie Ringer 6 Todd Blackadder 2 Jason Forster 7 Allister Hogg Rhys Oakley 8 Andrew Dall Replacements Rhys M. Thomas 16 Andrew Kelly Paul Young 17 Craig Smith Luke Charteris 18 Alasdair Strokosch Shawn van Rensburg 19 Simon Cross Steve Winn 20 Rory Lawson Lee Jarvis 21 Tom Philip Bryan Shelbourne 22 Ali Warnock Penalty Tries 0 0

All Pictures: ©  http://www.inpho.ie/, Huw Evans Agency,  Graham Stuart