Dragons’ destiny in the EPCR Challenge Cup remains in their hands despite a heart-breaking late 24-21 loss to Section Paloise at Stade de Hameau on Saturday evening.
The Men of Gwent looked set to stun the high-flying Top 14 outfit when flanker George Young scored nine minutes from time.
Earlier hooker James Benjamin – a late replacement for Bradley Roberts – scored a first half try while the accurate boot of Cai Evans kept Dai Flanagan’s men in touch.
Young’s score had Dragons dreaming of a repeat of the memorable win at Pau last season.
However, in a cruel late twist the home side snatched the win with Théo Attissogbe the scorer.
Dragons, though, did leave with a fully deserved losing bonus point that took them top of Pool 1 - before the clash between Sharks and Cheetahs – and with knockout rugby within reach next year.
A frantic opening quarter saw Dragons defend resolutely and look threatening in attack.
Pau had the first opening of the match, a penalty pulling up short, as the Men of Gwent held firm with Harri Keddie, Matthew Screech and Aneurin Owen among those to claim vital turnovers.
Evans produced a monster kick, from 22 to 22, to earn Dragons a platform to attack from and when the home side were penalised at the breakdown the fly half opened his account from the tee.
A superb 50:22 earned the visitors another chance to test Pau’s defence and from a lineout another penalty allowed Evans to double the lead.
The home side rallied and hit back just before the half hour mark when a driving maul saw hooker Romain Ruffenach shunted over. The extras were added by full back Axel Desperes for the lead.
Flanagan’s men, though, responded from the kick-off in unusual fashion as a high hanging kick from Evans bounced off a Pau head and found Benjamin who burst away and slid into the corner.
It almost got better moments later as Dragons broke from their own line and forced home scrum half Dan Robson to race back and hack out.
Wing Ashton Hewitt then thought he had scored as he burst through a gap and past two Pau defenders to dot down, only for the score to be chalked off for crossing.
The French side then stole the half-time lead as they pounced on a loose ball and crashed over from close range, with home Number Eight Thibaut Hamonou the man to captalise.
Luke Yendle was a change at the start of the second half, with Coleman off, and he was part of a solid defensive set that held a Pau man up in midfield and then won a scrum penalty to counter home pressure.
A penalty from Evans, after Gonzalo Bertranou was taken out off the ball saw the teams draw level with half an hour to go.
Pau went back ahead on 55 minutes, as Flanagan started to use his bench with Rodrigo Martinez making a welcome return as young duo George Young and Brodie Coghlan also got introduced.
The penalty count was starting to hurt Dragons but a breakout from Hewitt saw the wing almost finish the attack he had started as he was bundled into touch by the corner flag. H
ewitt was proving a livewire and this time he combined with Ewan Rosser to push Dragons up close before Pau managed to kick into touch.
But from then resulting lineout the visitors struck as a brilliant driving maul saw George Young score his first senior try. Evans converted to make it 21-17 with less than ten minutes left.
A frantic finale saw Pau go through the phases close to the Dragons line and win a penalty at the breakdown, that they opted to scrum five metres out, before pressure finally told in injury time when Theo Attissogbe broke away hearts.
Timeline:
21m Evans p 0-3
26m Evans p 0-6
28m Ruffenach t Desperes c 7-6
30m Benjamin t 7-11
40m Hamonou t Desperes c 14-11
50m Evans p 14-14
55m Desperes p 17-14
71m Young t Evans c 17-21
80m Attissogbe t Desperes c 24-21
Section Paloise: Axel Desperes, Aminiasi Tuimaba, Nathan Decron, Jale Vatubua, Thomas Carol, Thibault Debaes, Dan Robson; Facundo Gigena, Romain Ruffenach, Nicolas Corato, Hugo Auradou, Mickael Capelli, Mehdi Tlili, Martin Puech, Thibaut Hamonou
Replacements: Lucas Rey, Paul Tailhades, Siate Tokolahi, Victor Templier, Josselin Bouhier, Thomas Souverbie, Emilien Gailleton, Theo Attissogbe
Dragons RFC: Jordan Williams (E. Rosser 62), Jared Rosser, Steff Hughes (Baldwin 62), Aneurin Owen, Ashton Hewitt, Cai Evans, Gonzalo Bertranou (Jones 62); Aki Seiuli (Martinez 50), James Benjamin (Coghlan 55), Chris Coleman (Yendle 41), Joe Davies, Matthew Screech, Ryan Woodman (Lonsdale 75), Harri Keddie (Young 55), Taine Basham
Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Rodrigo Martinez, Luke Yendle, Sean Lonsdale, George Young, Lewis Jones, Corey Baldwin, Ewan Rosser
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
