NEWPORT Gwent Dragons produced some Parisian style on home soil but were as generous in defence as they were enterprising in attack to go down 30-26 to Newcastle in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

The Dragons, who had upset the odds to win 38-22 at Stade Francais, ran three tries past the Falcons but shipped the same amount to go down to defeat in a thriller at Rodney Parade.

Victory would have put them in great shape to earn a quarter-final spot and they can still be reasonably content with six points from two games, especially given that they played both Stade and Newcastle with Rynard Landman as their only out-and-out lock and Ashley Smith as their only specialist centre.

However, it was a chance missed against the Falcons and they will now have to take 10 points from the December double-header with Bucharest and then turn the tables at Kingston Park.

The Dragons were left to lament a pair of tries from charge downs of Hallam Amos kicks, 10 missed points from the tee and a number of botched five-metre lineouts.

It was such a shame after another much-improved performance in attack.

The Dragons strutted their stuff at Stade Jean Bouin and played with a swagger at Rodney Parade, giving it a crack in front of fans that have seen them splutter in the Guinness Pro12.

They resisted the temptation to put boot to ball and reaped the rewards with first-half scores by wing Matthew Pewtner, number eight Taulupe Faletau and centre Smith.

Alas, they gifted too many points to a spirited Falcons side.

The win in Paris prompted comments from the squad about it being a turning point for the season but previously-scolded Dragons fans were wary.

As soon as the final whistle was blown at Stade Jean Bouin there would have been plenty that cheered then uttered 'they'll probably lose to Newcastle now'.

Paris was a free hit – few thought they would return with a bonus point let alone a four-try victory – while against the Falcons they suddenly had to cope with increased expectation and the tag of favourites rather than underdogs.

The fear that the Dragons would take a step back wasn't helped by an impressive slick, multi-phase attack by the visitors that earned a penalty for fly-half Rory Clegg to open the scoring after seven minutes.

And the hosts weren't helped when skipper Lee Byrne limped from the field but thankfully they got a timely settler with a cracking score crafted by in-form Richie Rees.

The Dragons, playing with penalty advantage, chanced their arm in the 22 and after a lovely offload by Landman the scrum-half floated a delightful pass for Pewtner to race over down the right.

Angus O'Brien missed the conversion and his second penalty but stretched the lead to 8-3 by bisecting the posts after 22 minutes.

That rewarded the Dragons for a good start but a pair of botched five-metre lineouts prevented them from stretching further away from the Englishmen.

And they paid the price for their profligacy when Falcons wing Lee Smith charged down Hallam Amos' clearance and won the race to the loose ball on the line.

Clegg converted expertly from the right touchline to put Newcastle 10-8 up after half an hour and the Dragons suffered another injury blow when O'Brien was forced off.

But back they came and they were back in front in the 33rd minute when Faletau was the man adjudged to be at the bottom of a driving lineout, rewarding new captain Landman's call to go to the corner.

Tom Prydie added the extras only for Clegg to swiftly respond with a penalty to cut the Dragons lead to 15-13.

However, the hosts had the final say of the half with a super score from a patient attack orchestrated by Rees and Dorian Jones and finished off down the left by Smith.

Prydie was wide with the tough conversion – making it 10 missed points from the tee – and it was level-pegging at 20-20 just two minutes after the restart when Falcons number eight Mark Wilson cut a lovely line to slide over for a try that the unerring Clegg converted.

And the visitors were in 27-20 front after 47 minutes after another shocker by Amos, who fumbled and then had a second clearance charged down to give a Will Witty a run-in.

The Dragons were given a lifeline when Alex Tait was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle and Prydie booted a pair of penalties to one by Lee Smith.

It was 30-26 going into the closing stages and the Dragons hammered away at the line at the clock counted down and kicked a penalty to the corner... only to be pinged for not straight.

That was their final chance, leaving them to settle for a losing bonus point.

Dragons: L Byrne (captain, A Brew 9), M Pewtner, T Prydie, A Smith, H Amos, A O'Brien (D Jones 29), R Rees (R Rees 71), P Price (O Evans 47), E Dee (R Thomas 60), D Way (L Fairbrother 52), J Thomas (A Powell 60), R Landman, L Evans, N Cudd (J Benjamin 75), T Faletau.

Scorers: tries – M Pewtner, T Faletau, A Smith; conversions – T Prydie; penalties – A O'Brien, T Prydie (2)

Newcastle: S Hammersley, A Tait, T Penny, C Harris, L Smith, R Clegg, R Tipuna, R Vickers (E Fry 51), R Hawkins, K Brookes (O Tomaszczyk 51), S MacLeod (W Witty 22), S Robinson, W Welch (captain, D Temm 30), A Saull, M Wilson.

Scorers: tries – L Smith, M Wilson, W Witty; conversions – R Clegg (3); penalties – R Clegg (2), L Smith

Yellow card: A Tait

Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)

Attendance: 6,119

Argus star man: Richie Rees