The Dragons failed in their final attempt to claim a first home win of the season as they once again allowed a lead to slip from their grasp. Dean Ryan’s team were 11-7 up at the break, thanks to a try from winger Rio Dyer and the boot of outside-half Will Reed.
But the Lions dominated the second half, with their pack power telling as they monopolised both possession and territory, amid the penalty count mounting in their favour. Front five forwards Ruan Venter and Ruan Dreyer touched down to add to a first-half effort from wing Edwill van der Merwe, sealing the spoils for the men from Johannesburg.
Centre Josh Lewis had the chance to set up a grandstand finish when he pulled off an interception 13 minutes from time, only to lose the ball forward as he dived for the line. It was a what-might-have-been moment that in many ways summed up the Dragons' season at Rodney Parade. Their two solitary wins this term have come on the road, with their 11 home matches in all competitions producing 10 defeats and one draw.
Following a scoreless opening quarter during which the Lions had demonstrated their potency at the scrum, it was the Gwent region who actually put the first points on the board after 21 minutes.
Second row Joe Maksymiw - one of 16 departures announced this week - played a key role, leaping high to pull off a one-handed block of a floated pass on the visitors’ 22. Knocking the ball backwards and collecting it on the bounce, he swiftly popped it off to Rio Dyer. After that, it was all about the predatory prowess of the speedy winger, who produced a classic in-out finish, handing off fly-half Jordan Hendrikse to touch down in the right corner.
The Lions responded with a winger’s try of their own seven minutes later, as Edwill van der Merwe popped up in midfield and took an inside scoring pass to round off a training ground move off an attacking scrum. Hendrikse added the conversion to put them in front, but his opposite number Will Reed responded with two penalties to give the Dragons an 11-7 half-time advantage, with back row duo Taine Basham and Ollie Griffiths having shown up well.
The lead changed hands again five minutes after the break when second row Ruan Venter picked a good line off a ruck and ploughed through a gap, showing his strength to reach the whitewash. More forward power then brought the South Africans a third try when tighthead prop Ruan Dreyer forced his way over from close range.
There looked to be some hope for the hosts when centre Lewis intercepted inside his own half and pinned his ears back on 67 minutes, but video replays confirmed he had lost control of the ball just short of the line. The Dragons huffed and puffed in the closing stages, but couldn’t turn late pressure into points and that was that for another season.
Dragons: Jordan Williams; Rio Dyer, Adam Warren, Josh Lewis, Jared Rosser; Will Reed, Gonzalo Bertranou; Aki Seiuli, Elliot Dee, Mesake Doge, Joe Maksymiw, Huw Taylor, Ben Fry, Taine Basham, Ollie Griffiths (capt)
Replacements: Taylor Davies, Lloyd Fairbrother, Chris Coleman, Max Williams, Lennon Greggains, Lewis Jones, Sam Davies, Ioan Davies.
Lions: Quan Horn; Stean Pienaar, Henco van Wyk, Matt More, Edwill van der Merwe; Jordan Hendrikse, Morne van den Berg; JP Smith, Jaco Visagie, Ruan Dreyer, Ruan Venter, Reinhard Nothnagel (capt), Sibusiso Sangweni,Vincent Tshituka, Francke Horn.
Replacements: PJ Botha, Sti Sithole, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruben Schoeman, Jarod Cairns, Andre Warner, Manuel Rass, Tiaan Swanepoel.
Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU)
