NEWPORT Gwent Dragons lost against top English opposition for the third week running when they were beaten by Wasps at Adams Park yesterday, and this time a losing bonus point was snatched from them in the eighth minute of injury time.

With less than a quarter of the match to go the Dragons led 10-6, but they couldn’t hold on to it despite more valiant defence and they tumbled out of the EDF Energy Cup as a result.

But Wasps don’t go through to the semi-finals either, that place falling to Gloucester, who won at Newcastle.

On the credit side for the Dragons, Hoani MacDonald looks a real find while they scored the best try of the game and they can still take a lot from their Anglo-Welsh campaign.

They fell behind in only the third minute when Dave Walder kicked a well-judged penalty from wide out after a scrummaging offence.

The Dragons replied with a smart break down the blind side by scrum-half Tom Isaacs, though his kick ahead was returned with interest by Mark van Gisbergen.

But the Dragons persisted, newcomer MacDonald looking the business, and they drew level when Shaun Connor landed a penalty.

The Dragons then eased out of their 22 with a smart piece of robbery by Joe Bearman on Joe Worsley and a charge by Rhys Thomas, who was having a battle royal with Tim Payne in just about every scrum. Another scrum verdict went the way of Wasps and Walder put his second penalty over to regain the lead for his side.

The Dragons launched an all-out attack after Bearman snatched possession when Rhodri Davies broke away and Shaun Connor, Lewis Evans and Tom Willis handled impressively before Wasps got back to cover.

Then Fussell appeared in the middle off his wing and Ashley Smith and Phil Dollman handled, but van Gisbergen pegged them back with a long kick.

A pin-point kick by Walder drove the Dragons back to within a few yards of their own line, but Evans soared to win possession. MacDonald followed suit in an identical position and Isaacs cleared, though the Dragons were now coming under heavy pressure.

MacDonald came to their rescue when he got under Wasps flanker John Hart after Dan Leo won a line-out and the pack drove hard for the line.

Wasps twice went for scrums a few yards out when the Dragons were penalised for standing up, and each time they drove for the line until home tight head Pat Barnard was mysteriously felled.

It was Bath all over again as the Dragons were forced to defend grimly, Jamie Ringer to the fore, but Thomas saved them when somehow he held Rob Webber up. Scrum followed scrum, the total now up to eight in rapid succession, but the Dragons held out, trailing just 6-3 at the interval.

A refreshed Dragons, who replaced Davies with Marc Stcherbina, began the second half better, Bearman catching Leo and Connor kicking through neatly.

MacDonald leapt high to win successive line-outs, but a stray pass from Bearman put his side under pressure, though he won a line-out, Fussell again appearing in midfield doing some damage, only for Connor to slice a dropped goal shot. The Dragons came under more pressure, but right out of the blue they scored a try – executed with real precision.

MacDonald won a line-out cleanly, Stcherbina broke straight through the middle and handed on to co-centre Ashley Smith, who swept over for a try which Connor converted.

The outside-half was only just wide with a penalty from two yards inside his own half, but the scrum continued to be a problem and from another penalty there Walder put his third effort over to reduce the leeway to a point.

The Dragons suffered a double blow when Adam Black left the field looking groggy, rapidly followed by his replacement Alex Murphy with a damaged shoulder in his first scrum, though Thomas had been forced to move to loose head. That meant uncontested scrums with Andy Hall moving up to prop and Dan Lydiate on at lock. And it got worse when Wasps drove for the line and replacement Damien Varley was awarded a try to wrestle the lead back.

And in the eighth minute of injury time they even had a losing bonus point snatched away from them when Isaacs lost the ball almost on his own line and Josh Lewsey picked it up to score a try which Walder converted.

Wasps: M van Gisbergen, J Lewsey, R Hoadley (M Lawlor 78), J Staunton (L Mitchell 59), T Voyce, D Walder, M Robinson (E Reddan 60), T Payne (T French 71), R Webber (T Lindsay 79), P Barnard (D Varley 70), D Leo (H Ellis 63), R Birkett, J Hart, J Worsley (captain), S Betsen.

Scorers – Tries: D Varley, J Lewsey; conversion: D Walder; penalties: Walder (3).

Newport Gwent Dragons: P Dollman, T Selley, R Davies (M Stcherbina 40), A Smith, R Fussell, S Connor, T Isaacs, A Black (A Murphy 67, D Lydiate 69), T Willis, captain (S Jones 57), R Thomas, H MacDonald, A Hall (A Brown 76), J Bearman, L Evans, J Ringer.

Scorers – Try: A Smith; conversion: S Connor; penalty: Connor. Referee: Chris White (England).

Attendance: 7,980.