Dragons book Heineken Cup spot
Tue, 06 May 2008 23:22
Tries in either half from Kevin Morgan and Colin Charvis saw the Newport Gwent Dragons book their place in next season's Heineken Cup with a deserved 18-10 Magners League triumph over the Ospreys at Rodney Parade on Tuesday.
The Dragons, who bounced back from a heavy defeat to Leinster at the weekend, required just one point to book their place at Europe's top table next season.
This follows after the Board of ERC ruled that the 24th Heineken Cup place for next season's tournament will be filled by the highest non-qualifying team from the Magners League.
While one point would have been enough, the Newport outfit took four for the win and even managed to move up a spot in the standings to eighth.
Dragons captain Colin Charvis, one of his team's two try-scorers, was obviously delighted that their Heineken Cup spot was now secure.
"We haven't had a lot of good news here recently and have been struggling for confidence," Charvis said in his post-match reaction.
"So to bounce back from a heavy defeat on the weekend [to Leinster] with victory over a team like the Ospreys is a real achievement."
Kevin Morgan opened the scoring against an unfamiliar Ospreys, who were missing 17 players to injury and Wales duty.
Ceri Sweeney missed the conversion, but kicked a 16th-,minute penalty as the Dragons took an 8-0 lead.
Shaun Connor kicked a penalty for Ospreys in the 18th minute, before Sweeney landed another in the 24th minute to restore the home side's eight-point advantage.
However, a thrilling Gareth Owen run helped get the visitors back into the game before the break, the young fullback setting up Shaun Connor for a converted try to make it 11-10 to the Dragons at half-time.
Charvis, the subject of Wales tour and retirement talk, sealed the win with a 56th-minute try - converted by Sweeney.
The Dragons captain had been refused permission to join the Wales training camp this week as coach Paul Turner considered him too important to the region's cause.
But the flank may still make Wales' summer tour to South Africa, a trip that could prove a last hurrah for the 35-year-old who is out of contract at the end of the season and has hinted at retirement.
The scorers:
For the Newport Gwent Dragons:
Tries: Morgan, Charvis
Con: Sweeney
Pens: Sweeney 2
For Ospreys:
Tries: Connor
Con: Connor
Pens: Connor
Yellow cards: Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys, 22 - professional foul, killing the ball), Rhys Webb (Ospreys, 35 - foul play, high tackle)
The teams:
Newport Gwent Dragons: 15 Kevin Morgan, 14 Gareth Wyatt, 13 Rhodri Gomer Davies, 12 Phillip Dollman, 11 Richard Fussell, 10 Ceri Sweeney, 9 Wayne Evans,
8 Michael Owen, 7 Richard Parks, 6 Colin Charvis (captain), 5 Luke Charteris, 4 Adam Jones, 3 Lee Harrison, 2 Ben Daly, 1 Adam Black.
Replacements (from): Steve Jones, Gethin Robinson, Hugh Gustafson, Andy Hall, Lewis Evans, James Harris, Paul Emerick, Jason Tovey, Alex Walker.
Ospreys: 15 Gareth Owen, 14 Leigh Bevan, 13 Mark Taylor, 12 Jonathan Spratt, 11 Aled Brew, 10 Shaun Connor, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Tom Smith, 7 Steve Tandy, 6 Hale T-Pole, 5 Lyndon Bateman, 4 Andy Lloyd, 3 Cai Griffiths, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Paul James (captain).
Replacements: 16 Ed Shervington, 17 Craig Mitchell, 18 Mike Powell, 19 Filo Tiatia, 20 Martin Roberts, 21 Ashley Beck, 22 Kristian Phillips.
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
Touch Judges: David Bodilly (WRU), Huw David (WRU)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)
