The Dragons made a day trip of close to 2,000 miles for their Challenge Cup opener with Perpignan — an arduous journey made even worse by yet another painful defeat.
Dean Ryan’s side flew to the southern-most city in France, played the game, and jumped straight back on a plane home to try to minimise any Covid-19 problems.
This was a game Dragons should have won. Sam Davies kicked three penalties and Jamie Roberts grabbed a late try, but they failed to make the most of their opportunities as Perpignan receiving two yellow cards. They paid the ultimate price as poor discipline hit the Dragons in the second half.
Dragons made a strong start. Wing Rio Dyer reached for the line although he was bundled into touch before he could get into the corner and Davies opened the scoring with a penalty before adding a second shortly afterwards.
Jordan Olowofela was perhaps harshly penalised for a deliberate knock on, but Dyer dropped a Davies pass in a scrappy game which was littered with basic errors.
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Tavis Knoyle’s break was a rare moment of adventure with referee Christophe Ridley a busy man not only due to his decision making, but also mistakes from both sides. Ridley wasn’t popular with a sparse French crowd when after Aneurin Owen carried forward, he penalised Perpignan for going off their feet.
Before Owen had carried, he had received possession from Dragons hooker Elliot Dee who was hit high by his opposite number Seilala Lam.
Ridley decided Lam should see yellow and not red because Dee was falling to the ground when the contact happened. Dee was forced off for a head injury assessment.
His replacement at hooker was James Benjamin, a man who has converted from the back row to the front. Unfortunately for Benjamin, his first lineout throw went badly wrong.
Dragons turned around 6-0 to the good, but Dee didn’t return for the second half. Olowofela then had a try ruled out.
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Aki Seiuli raced clear and found Knoyle in support. Olowofela picked up possession and went over, but Ridley pulled play back for a deliberate knock-on by Perpignan wing Nino Seguela, who promptly joined Lam in the sin-bin.
It briefly reduced the French side to 13 men, but when they got back to a full XV, they struck. A driving lineout maul saw Victor Montgaillard go over the tryline. The replacement hooker spilled the ball, but Ridley pulled play back for Knoyle coming in the side of the maul and pulling it down. The scrum half was promptly yellow-carded and a penalty try given.
All of a sudden, Perpignan had momentum and they made the Dragons pay for their failure to take their chances in the first half.
Again, their forwards did the work and from a powerful maul following a 50:22 kick, replacement scrum half Tom Ecochard sniped over.
Ecochard kicked the conversion and added a penalty after Dragons centre Adam Warren was penalised and yellow carded for killing the ball.
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The game was then up for the Dragons when after replacement Roberts tried to kick ahead, Perpignan ran the ball back. Baptiste Plana was the man to finish as he shrugged off Davies to score.
Roberts did grab one back for the Dragons with a trademark line break from a Dan Babos pass and Davies converted, but it was too little, too late as Ecochard ended up changing the game.
Dragons did push for a late winner, but another Benjamin lineout throw was not straight and Perpignan held on.
Star man: Tom Ecochard (Perpignan)
Scorers: Perpignan: Tries Penalty 54min, Ecochard 60, Plana 66. Con Ecochard.
Pen Ecochard Dragons: Try Roberts 73. Con S Davies. Pens S Davies (3)
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Perpignan: L Dubois; J Pujol, E Vaitulukina (B Plana 11), E Sawailau (M Rodor 48), N Seguela; P Fernandez, M Landajo (T Ecochard 47); C Berguet (S Mavinga 41), S Lam (V Montgaillard 42), A Fakatika (V Jincharadze 41), T Labouteley (capt), T Cavubati (A Mahu 52), N Ma’afu, E Bertheau, M Ugena (G Montagne 47)
Dragons: J Holmes; R Dyer, A Warren (J Lewis 65), A Owen (J Roberts 56), J Olowofela (D Babos 57); S Davies, T Knoyle; A Seiuli (J Reynolds 56), E Dee (J Benjamin 33), M Doge (L Brown 48), J Davies, W Rowlands (B Carter 48), H Keddie (capt), T Basham, A Wainwright (D Baker 69)
Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng) Attendance: 5,455
