| Dragons Hold Off Edinburgh To Double Up |
Newport Gwent Dragons |
11 - 9 |
Edinburgh |
| Rodney Parade Att: 4,676 |
| Friday 26th September 2008, 18:30 |
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| The Newport Gwent Dragons made it two Magners League wins on the bounce as a try from winger Richard Fussell - his second in as many games against Edinburgh - helped them see off the Scots 11-9 at Rodney Parade. |
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| Dragons winger Richard Fussell beats the cover defence to score the game's only try at Rodney Parade |
| © Huw Evans Photography |
The Newport-Gwent outfit secured their first home win of the season as they became the first Welsh region to beat Edinburgh in Wales since April 2007.
Paul Turner's side produced a determined display as despite failing to score from the 21st minute on, they clung on to move up to seventh in the league table.
The damage was done in the first half when, following a brace of early penalties from Shaun Connor, Dragons winger Richard Fussell crossed in the left corner.
The right boot of place-kicker Chris Paterson kept Edinburgh in the hunt for their second win of the campaign, but the Dragons' stubborn defence drove them on to maintain that two-point lead.
Edinburgh ventured south trying to build on their impressive unbeaten record in the Principality from last season - there were wins at Cardiff (11-10), the Ospreys (19-18) and Llanelli (29-12), as well as a battling 10-10 draw at the Dragons.
Having watched his side beat the Scarlets at home last week, Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson opted to make two changes to the team that gained the Scots' first win over the season.
Scrum half and IRB Player of the Year nominee Mike Blair was rested and lock Ben Gissing was moved to the bench as Greig Law and Jim Hamilton, who was making his first start for the club, took over in the starting line-up.
The Dragons, fresh from their win over Ulster at Ravenhill, made one enforced switch - Shaun Connor got the nod at fly-half as leading scorer James Arlidge has been nursing a shoulder injury.
Edinburgh made the better start with centres Hugo Southwell and Nick De Luca looking dangerous with ball in hand and their pack quickly finding their feet.
Yet a lone Paterson penalty, expertly struck from 40 metres out, was all the visitors had to show for their early push.
Two penalties in the space of four minutes from Connor edged the Dragons ahead, with the second successful kick coming after Edinburgh winger Mark Robertson was pinged for not releasing.
Eagle-eyed referee Peter Fitzgibbon denied Edinburgh a try when, with Andrew Turnbull bursting through, he called play back for a forward pass from Hugo Southwell.
Turnbull's direct opponent, Richard Fussell, then made the corner for his 21st-minute.
Number 8 Grant Webb did the groundwork with a fine rumble forward, Gareth Wyatt and Phil Dollman exploited further space in the visitors' defence and the latter passed for the winger to do the rest.
Connor missed the conversion from wide out and Edinburgh, although initially rattled, composed themselves before the break with a second penalty from Paterson, closing the half-time gap to 11-6.
They would have been closer had Phil Godman not snatched at a drop goal attempt. Still, Robinson's charges wasted little time in eating into that deficit.
Nine minutes after the restart, Paterson split the posts with another penalty to leave the game delicately poised.
Edinburgh's forwards tried to pierce some holes in the Dragons' rearguard and they made some headway, early in the second period.
However, the Dragons were well-drilled and kept the Scots at bay with some disciplined defence during what was a tension-filled final half-hour.
Both Fussell and Dollman failed to convert scoring chances, while Robertson missed a long range drop goal shot for Edinburgh.
Fussell should have notched a second try but after haring down the left wing and helping to set up ruck position close to the posts, a hurried pass from Rory Sidey was spilled by the winger.
Edinburgh should have added to their total. Godman was off target with another drop goal, and replacement David Blair did likewise as the visitors became desperate.
They had enough ball to overhaul the hosts but the score never came, prompting flanker Matt Mustchin to say afterwards: "We created lots of opportunities, but we've just got to take them because we aren't doing that at the moment – it was frustrating.
"The positive thing is that we are creating opportunities to score tries, but we've got to nail those chances."
The Dragons forwards, with tireless captain Tom Willis and late replacement Jamie Ringer both to fore, saw out the win by locking the ball away in a series of late rucks and mauls.
Their better decision-making ultimately won the game for them, with their tigerish defence giving Edinburgh little leeway. |
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| First half timeline |
| 4 | Edinburgh | Penalty kick - C Paterson |
| 9 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Penalty kick - S Connor |
| 12 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Penalty kick - S Connor |
| 21 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Try - R Fussell |
| 23 | Edinburgh | Penalty kick - C Paterson |
| Second half timeline |
| 49 | Edinburgh | Penalty kick - C Paterson |
| 49 | Edinburgh | Substitution - J Thompson on for M Robertson |
| 54 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - J Tovey on for S Connor |
| 60 | Edinburgh | Substitution - B Gissing on for J Hamilton |
| 61 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - H Gustafson on for A Black |
| 61 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - A Hall on for A Jones |
| 65 | Edinburgh | Substitution - B Meyer on for G Laidlaw |
| 71 | Newport Gwent Dragons | Substitution - J Ringer on for R Parks |
| 71 | Edinburgh | Substitution - A Kelly on for R Ford |
| 71 | Edinburgh | Substitution - D Blair on for P Godman |
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