Montpellier Hérault Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons - Challenge Cup Semi Final

First topic message reminder :

Thought I'd start this early:

Match Facts

   Saturday's semi-final will be the first meeting between the sides in European competition, however Montpellier did face Newport RFC in the Challenge Cup back in 1997/98, losing home and away.
   Montpellier will be appearing in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time; they lost both of their previous quarter-final matches before defeating Sale Sharks in the last eight this season.
   The Dragons will be making their third appearance at this stage of the competition; they have never reached the final, conceding 45+ points in both of their previous semi-finals.
   The Dragons have won five of their last six games against TOP 14 opposition in the Challenge Cup, including the last three in a row.
   This will be the fifth time Montpellier have faced Welsh opposition in the Challenge Cup, winning in Round 4 against Cardiff Blues but losing the three before that.
   Montpellier have scored 16 first-half tries this season, more than any other side in the competition.
   The Dragons have won eight turnovers per game on average this season, more than any other team in the competition.
   No player has made more successful lineout throws this season than Elliot Dee who has found the target with 55/60 (92%).
   Akapusi Qera made 12 carries in the quarter-final to take his tally to 77 this season, the most of any player in the tournament.

Match Officials

   Referee Wayne Barnes (England)
   Touch Judge 1 JP Doyle (England)
   Touch Judge 2 Greg Garner (England)
   TMO Rowan Kitt (England)
   Citing Commissioner Alberto Recaldini (Italy

http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32888.php

Top 14 Orange

1    Clermont Auvergne
2    Montpellier Hérault
3    Toulon
4    Racing 92
5    Stade Toulousain
6    Castres Olympique
7    Bordeaux Begles
8    Brive
9    La Rochelle
10  Grenoble
11  Pau
12  Stade Français Paris
13  Oyonnax
14  Agen

Guinness PRO12

1    Leinster
2    Connacht
3    Glasgow Warriors
4    Ulster
5    Scarlets
6    Edinburgh
7    Munster
8    Cardiff Blues
9    Ospreys
10   Dragons
11   Zebre
12   Benetton Treviso

Well tis textbook Jake White rugby: big forward orientated game, play for territory when outside the opponents 22, not much creativity but at least it's effective.

Ok, Montpellier where the better side, and I reckon if the Dragons had got any closer on the scoreboard, Montpellier would probably have brought something out of the bottom drawer to keep ahead and win...

... BUT the Dragons must be kicking themselves. They left 11 (relatively easy) points out on the field. 3 (should have been) easily kickable penalties and a conversion. That would have won the game for them.. OK ifs and buts, because as I said in my opening line, if they had got closer, I reckon Montpellier had enough to pull away. But it just shows, you have to punish the penalties, and if you don't, you wont win.

... as I say, Dragons should kick themselves up the ar$e... but chances are they'd miss ;-)

No9 wrote:Ok, Montpellier where the better side, and I reckon if the Dragons had got any closer on the scoreboard, Montpellier would probably have brought something out of the bottom drawer to keep ahead and win...

... BUT the Dragons must be kicking themselves. They left 11 (relatively easy) points out on the field. 3 (should have been) easily kickable penalties and a conversion. That would have won the game for them.. OK ifs and buts, because as I said in my opening line, if they had got closer, I reckon Montpellier had enough to pull away. But it just shows, you have to punish the penalties, and if you don't, you wont win.

... as I say, Dragons should kick themselves up the ar$e... but chances are they'd miss ;-)

I guess you can never really tell what would have happened if we had got those kicks and kept the scoreboard a little closer but as you said they most probably had another gear to go up if it had come to that.