Rough day for the Dragons as they fell to Perpignan with a tough 41-17 defeat in the opening round of the Challenge Cup. The French side, previously winless this season, found their mojo, scoring six tries and securing their first victory. The Dragons had moments of promise but couldn’t hold off the waves of Perpignan attacks.
Perpignan’s tries came from James Hall, Mahamadou Diaby, Jefferson-Lee Joseph, and Bastien Chinarro, along with a penalty try and a final score from Matteo Le Corvec. The Dragons answered back in the second half with Joe Westwood crossing the line and Wills Austin adding two more. Highlights for the Dragons included a tenacious start and tries that showed resilience, but it just wasn’t enough to turn the tide.
Coach Filo Tiatia was able to bring back Wales internationals Ben Carter and Rio Dyer, aiming to capitalise on Perpignan’s shaky start to the season. The Dragons showed promise in the first half, especially with Sam Scarfe almost scoring on his debut start, only to be denied on the try line. A controversial officiating decision late on their previous match against Leinster was still a sore point, but they couldn’t capitalise on Perpignan’s early misfortunes and a 20-minute red card given to Duncan Paia’aua.
Perpignan’s lead seemed secure as they went into half-time 17-0. Jefferson-Lee Joseph’s try from nearly his own try line right after the break was a standout moment. Despite a spirited fightback with Westwood and Austin scoring, Perpignan’s penalty try and Le Corvec’s late try sealed the deal. It was a frustrating finish for the Dragons, who remain winless this year.
With plenty of action and drama on the field, the Dragons will be looking to regroup and turn their fortunes around next time. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for their comeback! 🏉💪