Duggan double as Under-18s impress
Wing Ioan Duggan grabbed a try brace as Dragons Under-18s swept to a convincing 59-29 win over RGC Under-18s in the Regional Age Grade Championship at Ystrad Mynach.
Dragons made seven changes to the line-up as they prepared for two home games in four days. Dragons also welcome Scarlets on Wednesday.
But an impressive start saw them hit the front and secure a lead they never looked like relinquishing.
Dragons were 12-0 up in as many minutes as a great pick up off the floor from Jack Woods sent Number Eight Ryan Jones over before captain Tye Davies drew the last man to send Duggan in for his first.
RGC hit back with a penalty before a brilliant individual score from Guy Thomas, the flanker ripping the ball and powering through two men to score.
Caio Parry grabbed a second visiting score before a wonderful pass from Woods found lock Evan Barber who spotted the gap to run in untouched for a fourth home try.
The tries continued thick and fast with scrum half Franklin passing to Woods who crossed to score Dragons fifth try while RGC struck through Greg Thomas and Tudur Jones to cut the lead to 33-22.
Duggan picked up loose ball and raced in to score his second of the afternoon early in the second half to reassert dominance before the wing turned provider for centre Oscar Watkins.
Harry Rees-Weldon was the architect of the next try, breaking from deep before drawing the final man to send wing Dray Jack-Griffin under the sticks.
Replacement hooker Lugh Doyle powered over from the back of the line-out for RGC late on.
But fittingly, the home side had the final word as a quick tap from Toby Thomas allowed him to find Rees-Weldon who utilised his pace to score.
Dragons Under-18s: Tate Shaw (Coleg Gwent & Aberavon Green Stars RFC), Dray Jack-Griffin (Newport High & Cwmbran RFC), Tye Davies (c) (Hartpury College & Cwmbran RFC), Oscar Watkins (Monmouth Haberdashers & Alton RFC), Ioan Duggan (CWM Rhymni & Bargoed RFC), Jack Woods (Monmouth Haberdashers & Risca RFC), Logan Franklin (Newbridge RFC); George Tuckley (Monmouth Haberdashers & Abergavenny RFC), Tomoya Adachi (Clifton College & Whiteheads RFC), Josh Gay (Coleg Gwent & Ebbw Vale RFC), Evan Barber (Coleg Gwent & Blackwood RFC), Nick Thomas (Hartpury College & St Peters RFC), Guy Thomas (Monmouth Haberdashers), Louis Pullen (Newport High School & Newport HSOB), Ryan Jones (West Monmouth School & Pontypool United)
Replacements: Regan Jones (Monmouth Haberdashers & Cwmbran RFC), Barney Thomas-Hewertson (Monmouth School for Boys & Abergavenny RFC), Charlie Undery (St Cenydd Community School & Caerphilly RFC), Dan Wall (Newport High School & Machen RFC), Luke Daniels (West Monmouth School & Pontypool United), Toby Thomas (Newport High School & Machen RFC), Harri Ford (Coleg Gwent & Sengenydd RFC), Harry Rees-Weldon (Coleg Gwent & Ebbw Vale RFC)
