Dragons 15 Scarlets 13

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons began the new year with a bang when they retrieved a seemingly lost cause to achieve their first double over Llanelli Scarlets yesterday.

It looked odds on a Scarlets victory and a place at the top of the Magners League table as they swept into a 10-0 lead only for the Dragons to level the scores after showing their trademark fighting spirit.

But the Scarlets forged ahead again with a Rhys Priestland penalty and once more it appeared the Dragons would be consigned to another brave bonus point defeat.

But not a bit of it as the Dragons mounted wave after wave of attacks and the Scarlets began to wilt. Yet twice the Dragons lost their own line-out and their chance appeared to have gone.

But in the tenth minute of injury time they had one more opportunity when they were awarded a penalty and the possibility of a draw.

But it was wide out and instead the Dragons decided to go for broke with one last frantic assault. Two points from a draw would have mattered little to them, but four for the win would have made all the difference.

Fortune favours the brave and how it favoured the Dragons as they opted for a scrum instead of a shot at goal, gambling everything on one last attack.

Richard Fussell careered across from the wing to appear in midfield to take the ball, Kevin Morgan dashed up in attack and Richard Mustoe was presented with an open line in front of him.

He had already made a couple of terrific runs, and on he went gloriously to cross for the match-winning try which Ceri Sweeney only just failed to convert from the touchline.

The players were engulfed, the best Rodney Parade league crowd of the season went wild and the Scarlets couldn't believe it.

Months of narrow failures, seven defeats in eight games, three months without success at home for the Dragons all went out of the window as the players celebrated.

And how they deserved it for their sheer boldness, their never-say-die spirit and their courage.

A rare bit of glory, indeed, but as they acknowledged afterwards it was only one win, they don't move up the table and, most important of all, one success must not be allowed to mask all the well documented problems.

What should have been absolutely crystal clear to chairman Martyn Hazell and his fellow watching board members is that, even if the crowd was down on the other Welsh holiday derbies, the level of support is abundantly there - and in spades.

The volume was at times almost ear splitting, so the will is clearly there. All the fans want is a more successful team and some star names to put even more backsides on seats. Then, and only then, will the Dragons start to really go places.

Until the late drama yesterday, it has to be said it was another very ordinary Welsh derby which will hardly inspire confidence when it comes to the Six Nations Championship next month.

Mistakes abounded on both sides, turnovers a regular feature with elementary errors like Sweeney putting the ball over the try line from a penalty kick to touch, having another kick charged down or both hookers Steve Jones and Ben Daly failing to find their man at the line-out.

But, on the other hand, Joe Bearman continues to turn in man-of-the-match performances as he finally settles and benefits from a run of games. Again he was all over the pitch in a tremendous individual performance.

Colin Charvis sets that standard every week and yesterday was no exception while Michael Owen showed his class, Andy Williams put in some testing kicks over the top and Ashley Smith enjoyed his best game of the season, often finding holes in the Scarlets defence.

But the skills of Regan King in the centre for the Scarlets were always in evidence while Mark Jones and Morgan Stoddart were dangerous runners, though the home defence was as solid as usual.

The Scarlets had to rely on a penalty try for their one five-pointer when referee James Jones ruled a scrum had been twisted around illegally.

Priestland converted to add to an earlier penalty and when the referee refused to grant the Dragons a penalty try in similar circumstances to the one where he had granted it to the Scarlets anger mounted.

But fortunately all was put right when from the scrum Sweeney took a flat ball from Williams and Smith shot over between the posts for his first try of the season.

Then came Priestland's second penalty and the stunning closing minutes when at last the Dragons came out on top. Now they need a similar result in Glasgow on Friday.

Newport Gwent Dragons: K Morgan, R Fussell, P Emerick, A Smith, R Mustoe, C Sweeney, A Williams (A Walker 78), H Gustafson (A Black 48), S Jones (B Daly 68), R Thomas, A Jones, P Sidoli (J Harris 68), J Bearman, M Owen, C Charvis (captain).

Scorers - tries: A Smith, R Mustoe; conversion: C Sweeney; penalty: Sweeney.

Llanelli Scarlets: M Stoddart, D James, R King, J Davies (N Brew), M Jones, R Priestland, D Peel (L Davies 40), I Thomas (D Manu), J Hayter, B Douglas, V Cooper (A Eustace), S Macleod, S Easterby (captain), N Thomas, J Bater.

Scorers - penalty try; conversion: R Priestland; penalties: Priestland (2).

Referee: Mr J Jones (WRU) Attendance: 6,782