Breakthrough win for Dragons

The Dragons earned their first away win at the Ospreys in seven years of regional rugby on Saturday, the Gwent side earning a 21-16 Magners League victory at the Liberty Stadium.

Toby Faletau and Wayne Evans touched down for the visitors, who took full advantage of the fact that Ospreys are currently missing 16 players.

Gareth Owen crossed for the Ospreys, who despite their defeat earned a losing bonus point.

The Dragons were deservedly 8-3 up at half time, with number eight Faletau touching down in the 38th minute after battling his way past three would-be tacklers to score in the left corner.

Faletau's breakthrough came at the end of a largely ordinary opening period - the standard of play on display hardly being helped by heavy rain.

The Dragons enjoyed a territorial advantage with two line-outs in their opponents' 22 before fly-half Jason Tovey opened the scoring with a 13th-minute penalty after Ospreys had been caught offside.

The home side then had a chance of scoring the opening try when former Dragons wing Richard Fussell went close down the left.

The Dragons held their lead until the 37th minute when Dai Flanagan levelled with a penalty awarded for crossing.

Back ahead

The visitors were back ahead just one minute later though, with Faletau's try coming after Gavin Thomas had made the initial break into the Ospreys' 22.

The Ospreys could have headed into the interval with just a two-point deficit but Flanagan missed a relatively easy penalty in the second minute of injury-time.

They more than made up for it at the start of the second half, however, with Owen crossing in the 43rd minute after Fussell had made a break up the right wing and passed inside to the full-back.

The Ospreys only held the lead for two minutes before Jason Tovey converted his second penalty.

Flanagan missed a penalty on 53 minutes but found the target five minutes later with another attempt as the Ospreys went back into the lead at 13-11.

Once again, however, the Ospreys' advantage was short-lived as the Dragons scored their second try.

Good build-up work involving Thomas, Tom Willis and James Leadbeater ended with Wayne Evans nipping in for the score down the blindside.

Owen and Tovey traded penalties before the Dragons held out for a breakthrough victory.