Dragons overpowered by Glasgow in Rainbow Cup

Dean Ryan’s men doubled the Scots in the 2020/21 PRO14 campaign and made a strong start to lead 13-3 in the capital thanks to a try by centre Aneurin Owen and eight points from the boot of Sam Davies.

However, Glasgow were a different side to the one that spluttered in Wales in March, no doubt stung by being turned over twice by the Dragons.

They crossed for three tries and 19 unanswered points to take command before a Davies penalty made it a one-score game in the closing stages.

But the final score was a Warriors one – albeit with more than a hint of a forward pass – and the visitors deservedly took the spoils with a bonus.

Glasgow remain in contention for the final while the Dragons knew before kick-off, courtesy of Benetton’s win against Connacht, that their mammoth season will end at Leinster on June 11.

The end is in sight and in truth they were poor against the Warriors, failing to hit the standards of the PRO14 run-in.

Ryan bolstered the tight five with experience but they were overpowered while they fielded a stellar back row of Ross Moriarty, Ollie Griffiths and Aaron Wainwright but the best back rower on show was lively 21-year-old Glasgow openside Rory Darge.

The Dragons want to play fast but they didn’t get the basics right against a fired-up Warriors side, who were loud in the warm-up and then noisy both on and off the field after every home error or little win.

Why not? The Dragons no doubt dished it out earlier in the campaign.

Ryan’s men must now lick their wounds during bye week before going again one last time in Dublin, trying to finish on a high.

The Dragons were playing in their third home of the season, and their second of the campaign in the capital.

After playing at Principality Stadium to give the Rodney Parade pitch a breather in the PRO14 run-in, they headed to Leckwith to Cardiff City Stadium while work started on a new surface in Newport.

Glasgow started with more aggression than they showed in the city centre and thought they had opened the scoring after 11 minutes when centre Nick Grigg finished off a fine move down the left.

However, footage showed that Lion-to-be Zander Fagerson had caught Gonzalo Bertranou in the face with a fend-off in the build-up.

It was only a penalty and that was followed by another Warriors offence that allowed the Dragons to strike by kicking to the corner.

The drive was stopped but the ball was flicked out for Sam Davies to put Owen over with a flat ball, exploiting the defence of Grigg after he got too narrow.

Davies added the simple conversion and then slotted a penalty from 40 metres out to make it 10-0 after 20 minutes.

Glasgow got on the scoreboard with a sweetly-struck Ross Thompson penalty after 26 minutes only for Davies to swiftly respond with a drop goal, a smart choice after impressive Warriors defence inside their 22.

The visitors cut the gap to five points just before the break when the Dragons racked up the penalties in the 22 and the pressure eventually told, not only with a try down the rugby by Kyle Steyn but with a yellow card for captain Ross Moriarty after a no-arms tackle.

Glasgow weren’t ready for their half-time brew just yet and went to their changing room with a 15-13 lead after a cracker.

George Turner was the star of a flowing move featuring offloads galore that was finished off by Thompson, who converted to put the Scots in front for the first time.

The 14-man Dragons were saved from a third try by a knock-on in the build-up to Cole Forbes going over down the left – Davies had a great view and issued a captain’s challenge – but that just delayed the seven points.

Glasgow had played with penalty advantage, kicked to the corner and the impressive Turner hit his man and then drove the maul over.

Thompson converted to put the Warriors 22-13 up, scoring 14 points in the absence of Moriarty.

Glasgow were winning all the battles, bossing the set piece and smashing the Dragons at the ruck.

They thought they had try number four after 53 minutes when their second Lion-to-be Ali Price darted over only for the TMO to intervene with blocking in the build-up – Adam Hastings adjudged to have impeded Jonah Holmes – saving the Dragons.

It remained 22-13 entering the final quarter and the hosts were hindered by errors in their bid to make it a one-score game.

However, Davies made it 22-16 with five minutes to go after Glasgow paid the price for some post-penalty gloating by prop Tom Lambert against Aaron Jarvis.

A ruffle of the hair led to a reversal, a kick to the 22 and then another offence that was put between the posts.

However, Glasgow had the final say when Adam Hastings put Rufus McLean in down the right and he passed inside for lock Kiran McDonald to go over.

Hasting’s pass was in front of the press box and was forward but the television footage did not clearly show it and the try was given.

In truth, Glasgow deserved a five-point haul.

Dragons: I Davies; J Holmes, J Dixon, A Owen, R Dyer; S Davies, G Bertranou; B Harris (J Reynolds 65), R Hibbard (E Dee 46), L Fairbrother (A Jarvis 60), M Screech, B Carter (J Davies 53), R Moriarty (captain), O Griffiths (T Basham 60), A Wainwright.
Scorers: try – A Owen; conversion – S Davies; penalties – S Davies (2); drop goal – S Davies

Glasgow: A Hastings; K Steyn, N Grigg, S Johnson, C Forbes; R Thompson, A Price; A Seiuli, G Turner, Z Fagerson, R Harley, S Cummings, R Wilson (captain), R Darge, M Fagerson.
Replacements: F Brown, T Lambert, E Pieretto, K McDonald, F Lokotui, G Horne, S McDowall, R McLean.
Scorers: tries – K Steyn, R Thompson, G Turner, K McDonald; conversions – R Thompson (2); penalty – R Thompson

Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)