CARETAKER boss Filo Tiatia didn’t have the Midas touch at the Arms Park after the Dragons’ losing streak to Cardiff was stretched to 18 games with a 31-23 defeat.
The interim head coach became followed Kingsley Jones, Bernard Jackman, Dean Ryan and Dai Flanagan in suffering defeat to the Blue and Blacks since the 2015 triumph in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals under Lyn Jones.
Tiatia, who has reluctantly stepped up after being brought in as defence coach, will hope to change the record on Boxing Day in Newport.
Flanagan paid the price for a frustrating start to the United Rugby Championship after five defeats followed the opening weekend win against the Ospreys.
However, there were familiar failings in the capital as the Dragons failed to take their chances after having the better of the first half, then went in 17-9 down after tries by flanker Alex Mann and wing Harri Millard for the hosts.
Cardiff, who made 90 tackles to the Dragons’ 25 in the first half according to the URC stats, bossed the opening stages of the second half to get the job done with tries by fly-half Callum Sheedy and centre Rey Lee-Lo.
Promising Dragons scrum-half Morgan Lloyd did provide a spark and his solo try and another score by prop Aki Seiuli provided some hope of a dramatic finale by making it an eight-point game in with eight minutes to go.
Alas, there was no remarkable turnaround and Tiatia, who is yet to reveal whether he wants to be a contender for the top job full-time, started off with a defeat.
The expectation was that the Dragons would repeat the humiliation of last season in Cardiff when hammered 55-21, seven of the hosts’ nine tries coming in the first half.
This certainly wasn’t as embarrassing but it was still deflating despite the late scores against a Blue and Blacks side that didn’t even have to be that good to take the spoils.
The Dragons need to respond quickly.
Montpellier in Newport on Friday is a game that almost decides whether they can be contenders for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup, with a tricky trip to Newcastle to follow that.
Amazingly, for much of the first half it looked like the Dragons had it in them to end the hoodoo.
Recently-appointed captain Angus O’Brien missed an easy chance to open the scoring from the tee in the fourth minute, continuing a problem from the first block of the campaign.
Instead, it was Cardiff fly-half Callum Sheedy that struck first before O’Brien made no mistake with his second attempt in the 12th minute of a low-key start.
The Dragons were forced into a change when centre Joe Westwood limped off to be replaced by Aussie Harry Wilson but the errors kept coming.
O’Brien pulled another very kickable penalty that came from a lineout when fit-again Wales winger Josh Adams put a clearance out on the full after fumbling the ball into his 22.
The Dragons created a big chance after 20 minutes when Aneurin Owen burst through midfield but, after the defence did well to cut out the pass to the supporting Aaron Wainwright, the ball was dropped in the 22 by hooker Brodie Coghlan.
The visitors were well on top and making good yards on the carry but they missed another golden opportunity in the 24th minute.
A Rhodri Williams snipe led to them hammering away on the line but then, with penalty advantage, Wilson couldn’t gather O’Brien’s pass after cutting a nice line.
The Dragons had to settle for 6-3 when it should have been more, then made it 9-3 on 28 minutes when the hosts continued to get on the wrong side of ref Ben Whitehouse.
However, Tiatia’s men conceded a penalty straight from the restart and the Blue and Blacks opted for the corner, then won another penalty that was kicked to touch.
Whitehouse’s arm went out again but the Blue and Blacks kept going for replacement flanker Mann to crash over, Sheedy’s conversion making it 10-9.
The Dragons had an immediate chance to respond when the referee got fed up of Cardiff infringements and sin-binned lock Josh McNally.
The visitors kicked to the 22 to try and exploit the absence of the second rower only for the lineout to be overthrown and booted clear.
The Dragons’ wastefulness was followed by Cardiff putting the pressure on at the end of the half; penalties racked up and the 14-man hosts wanted more than three points.
Hooker Coghlan was shown yellow after a team warning and the Blue and Blacks opted for a scrum, that earned penalty advantage.
Ben Thomas spread the ball left and wing Millard gathered a cut inside past FOUR Dragons defenders for a try that Sheedy converted.
At 17-9 the Dragons were up against it at the start of the second half and it swiftly got worse.
Cardiff cut them open with a backs move from a scrum free-kick to set Adams racing into the 22, then stayed calm for Cam Winnett to dummy and then put Sheedy over down the left. The fly-half expertly converted for 24-9.
The penalty count allowed Cardiff to go for the kill and the struck for their bonus point in the 50th minute through a set play from a tap, centre Rey Lee-Lo going over untouched after the Dragons were deceived.
At 31-9 it became a question of pride for the Rodney Parade club, with Tiatia and the coaching team turning to their bench.
That meant a chance for up-and-coming Lloyd and the scrum-half thankfully provided some cheer with a cracking try in the 64th minute.
As he has been doing for Pontypool, the youngster from Hollybush sniped in the 22 and then finished impressively. O’Brien’s conversion made it 31-16.
Another Lloyd snipe then effectively created the second.
Pressure in the 22 earned a penalty and then, after Taine Basham went close, replacement prop Aki Seiuli crashed over.
O’Brien’s conversion made it 31-23 with eight minutes to go.
Surely not?
Sadly not.
Cardiff scorers: tries – Mann, Millard, Sheedy, Lee-Lo; conversions – Sheedy (4); penalty – Sheedy.
Dragons: O’Brien (captain); Dyer (Anderson 49-61), Westwood (Wilson 16), Owen, J Rosser; L Evans, R Williams (M Lloyd 53); Martinez (Seiuli 54), Coghlan (Benjamin 61), Coleman (Arhip 54), Screech, Nott (J Davies 61), Lewis-Hughes (Woodman 50), Basham, Wainwright (Benjamin 40-49).
Scorers: tries – Lloyd, Seiuli; conversions – O’Brien (2); penalties – O’Brien (3).
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
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