Dragons beat travel bug but lose Griffiths

THE long wait for an away win is over for the Dragons after their revenge win over Continental Shield champions Enisei-STM in Moscow.

You had to go back to April, 2016, for the last time the region had won on the road. That was in the Challenge Cup against Gloucester and since then they had lost 23 games in a row away from home.

The bonus-point win gives Bernard Jackman’s team six points from their opening two pool matches and, according to the head coach, means “we are very much live in our pool”. But the victory came at a cost, with Wales flanker Ollie Griffiths in hospital with a suspected broken jaw.

“Ollie caught an elbow in the face as he peeled off a lineout and the citing officer is taking a look at it,” said Jackman. “He lost his vision for a while and went off to hospital with a suspected broken jaw.

“But we’re making small gains and this was an important win for us, especially as we’d lost here last season. They have got a massive, heavy pack, it was a narrow pitch and there was sleet and snow.”

In their 50th Challenge Cup game, the Dragons built up a 14-point interval lead thanks to tries from skipper Cory Hill and wing Jared Rosser. Wales lock Hill got his score after charging down a clearance, while Rosser sniped over from a close-range ruck.

Angus O’Brien improved both tries, but Jackman knew EnisieSTM, still smarting from conceding eight tries to Bordeaux-Begles in a 57-17 home defeat the previous weekend, were always likely to build up a head of steam.

A third Dragons try after

the break stretched the lead. No 8 James Benjamin paved the way with a fine break that was finished off by full-back Hallam Amos. O’Brien again converted.

The home side hit back with a try from hooker Stanislav Selskii and then a penalty try earned by some strong scrummaging. With the result in the balance, it fell to replacement scrum-half Charlie Davies to snipe off an attacking ruck in the Russian 22 to scamper over.

Gavin Henson added the extras and not even a 78thminute try from No 8 Anton Radoi, which Iurii Kushnarev converted, could spoil the party.