Ahead of this weekend's big EPCR Challlenge Cup clash with Section Paloise, we lok back to 2015 when we defeated the French side 22-0 on home soil...
Dorian Jones fired Dragons to another impressive win in the European Challenge Cup as his 17 point haul - including a second half try -sank Pau at Rodney Parade.
Man of the Match Sarel Pretorius also crossed in the first half to keep Dragons on track in Pool 3.
Director of rugby Lyn Jones will also have been delighted at keeping a clean sheet against French opposition for the first time.
However the only sour note to a job well-done was the loss of Tom Prydie to a worrying knee injury in the second half.
Dragons led 11-0 at half-time but only after surviving a shaky start.
Slippery conditions hardly helped but they looked vulnerable in the set-pieces.
The first two lineouts went astray and the scrum, up against former Scotland and British Lions tight-head Euan Murray, was shoved onto the back foot.
That handed Samuel Marques an early chance to put the visitors ahead only to scuff his effort well wide.
Portugal scrum-half Marques was one of ten different nationalities in the Pau team that started at Rodney Parade.
But with many of their own home-grown players, the Dragons overcame their problems and attacked with energy and pace.
Twice Adam Warren broke through and both led to penalties that Jones converted into the wind.
The breakthrough came on 27 minutes when Dragons turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye.
Pau pressed through their giant wing Marika Vunibaka – one of their four Fijians – but Ashton Hewitt was brave in defence and caused the turnover.
Pretorius picked inside his own half and was quick to spot the opportunity. The scrum-half stepped through two tacklers before stepping on the gas to speed 60 metres up field and dive over for a rousing try.
Jones missed the conversion but Dragons were soon facing 14 men when the frustrated Vunibaka was binned for a late hit on Hewitt.
But it was Brok Harris who made sure Dragons held onto their advantage with a timely shove to deny Pau as they threatened from a scrum five yards out on the stroke of half-time.
It was a crucial intervention that was greeted by cheers from the Rodney Parade faithful as though he had scored a try.
That feel-good factor continued after half-time as Jones kicked Dragons further ahead with two straight-forward penalties.
The first was a gift after Pau were penalised for crossing. The second came after Adam Hughes went agonisingly close to an interception with a clear run to the line ahead.
However Jones did find his way to the line through a melee a players to inflict the knock-out blow.
Dragons also defended with vigour as Harris, Matthew Screech and Ollie Griffiths snuffed out any Pau attack.
Again Pretorius turned defence into attack. He kicked up field to release the jet-healed Hewitt only for him to be caught in two minds, between kicking or picking up, and knocked on yards from the line.
Rynard Landman also knocked on as the chance of a bonus point went begging.
Dragons: C Meyer; T Prydie (R Wardle, 55), A Hughes, A Warren (J Tovey, 67), A Hewitt; D Jones (L Jones, 64), S Pretorius; P Price (S Knight, 68), R Thomas (capt, E Dee, 64), B Harris (L Fairbrother, 63), M Screech, R Landman (C Hill, 67), L Evans (E Jackson, 64), T Faletau, O Griffiths.
Section Paloise: R Buros (M Ratuvou, 68); M Vunibaka, J Vatubua, W Votu (P Dupouy, 53), E Niko; C Malie, S Marques (T Lacrampe, 51); C King (J Jacquot, HT), M Boundjema (T Bianchin, 53), E Murray, C Pierce, C Dry (D Ramsey, 28), S Dougall (L Bernard, 58), B Monzeglio (capt), J Domolailai.
