Jones try secures Under-18s derby win
A dramatic late try from Number Eight Ryan Jones saw Dragons Under-18s finish the Regional Age Grade Championship season with a deserved 19-15 victory over Cardiff Rugby Under-18s.
Jones struck with just minutes remaining at Cardiff Arms Park to ensure the young Dragons finished the season with three successive victories and wrapped up third place.
The home side had started the game brightly and had opened up an early 8-0 lead, courtesy of a try from Tom Weekly and a Harri Wilde penalty.
Dragons hit back with a brilliant individual score from wing Dray Jack-Griffin as he used his pace to beat two men on the outside before rounding the final tackle to dot down.
Cardiff stretched the advantage with hooker Evan Wood collecting an offload and dummying his way into space and over the line.
But a break on the half hour from Jack Woods launched an attack and full back Harri Ford applied a classy finish as he danced past two men to cut the lead to 15-12 at the break.
A tense and evenly contested second half was settled by Jones as he teamed up with Evan Barber to crash over after the forwards had patiently built the phases and pressure.
Dragons Under-18s: Harri Ford (Coleg Gwent & Sengenydd RFC), Harry Rees-Weldon (Coleg Gwent & Ebbw Vale RFC), Oli Woodman (Monmouth Haberdashers & Chepstow RFC), Tye Davies (c) (Hartpury College & Cwmbran RFC), Dray Jack-Griffin (Newport High & Cwmbran RFC), Jack Woods (c) (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), Dan Wall (Newport High School & Machen RFC), Nick Thomas (Hartpury College & St Peters RFC), Guy Thomas (Monmouth Haberdashers), Kobi Rees (Coleg Gwent & Blackwood RFC), Ryan Jones (West Monmouth School & Pontypool United)
Replacements: Regan Jones (Monmouth Haberdashers & Cwmbran RFC), Taran Moa (Llandovery College & Cwmbran RFC), Alex Uwimana (Newport High School & Pill Harriers RFC), Evan Barber (Coleg Gwent & Blackwood RFC), Louis Pullen (Newport High School & Newport HSOB), Toby Thomas (Newport High School & Machen RFC), Sonny Greenman (Hartpury College & Pentyrch RFC), Oscar Watkins (Monmouth Haberdashers & Alton RFC),
