Dragons RFC return to BKT United Rugby Championship this weekend as they host Munster at Rodney Parade.
The fixture was the sight of one of Dragons’ most memorable wins in recent memory as they defeated a Munster side in September 2022, at the beginning of a season which would see the Irish province take the URC title.
That was Munster’s most recent venture to Rodney Parade to date, having beaten Dragons at home last term as they finished the regular season on the top of the table.
Back in September 2022, a brilliant solo Rio Dyer try and six J. J. Hanrahan penalties gave Dragons a memorable 23-17 come-from-behind win.
That day, after Munster took the lead through a penalty from now Scottish fly-half Ben Healy but Hanrahan responded with five penalties for Dragons with five minutes of the half remaining.
It looked as though Dragons would enter the half-time team talk with a controlled lead, however two quick tries from the Munstermen before the interval intervened, with Stephen Archer going over from a yard out before Healy scored his side’s second in the corner just as half-time beckoned, converting both.
After half-time and with the Rodney Parade scoreboard reading 15-17 in Munster’s favour, half an hour of stalemate beckoned.
It was a game begging for a moment of quality and with fewer than 10 minutes remaining it came through Dyer. The Wales international flyer took the ball from just inside his own half before busting through would-be-tackles from Munster captain Peter O’Mahony and All-Black Malakai Fekitoa and then showing his pace to outstrip Mike Haley and score in the corner.
Munster came back strongly looking for a try to retake the lead, but another break from his 22 by Dyer who fed Angus O’Brien and Max Clark led to a Munster yellow card and another Hanrahan penalty to seal the game.
This term, Munster sit 11th in the league and will hope to rise up the table having won four and lost five of their nine games in the URC this term.
Recently, the Irish province won a nail-biting 19-22 win at Ulster and a 17-12 home win against Saracens either side of a 7-28 away-day defeat at Leinster. The game marks the end of this block prior to the Six Nations where Ireland will look to win their third successive Six Nations crown.
Despite being lower than they would have wished in the table, Munster’s attack has been firing with the joint third most tries in the URC, along with the second most metres gained. Can Dragons gain another memorable win at the expense of the Irish on Saturday?
