Battling Dragons hold high-flying Glasgow to draw
Conference A leaders Glasgow were forced to settle for a 15-15 draw after being held scoreless in the second half by the battling Dragons at Rodney Parade.
The Warriors made light of their lengthy list of Scotland absentees to dominate after the break in Newport but they were unable to crack their hosts, who are struggling at the wrong end of Conference B in the Guinness Pro14.
Glasgow led 15-5 in the first half thanks to tries by Brandon Thomson and George Horne but they took their eye off the ball against a home side boosted by the return of Wales full-back Hallam Amos, who set up wing Jared Rosser to add to the home side's opener from hooker Liam Belcher.
That saw the teams go into the interval level at 15-15, and that is the way the match finished as neither side could add to the score in the second period.
The Dragons were ahead in the second minute when they ruthlessly punished an overthrown Glasgow lineout in their 22.
The forwards hammered away before the ball was spread to the right wing where Belcher powered over.
Fly-half Zane Kirchner narrowly failed with the conversion and then hit the right post with a long-range effort.
Glasgow punished those misses in the 15th minute when a neat chip over the top by Horne was pounced upon by Thomson to make it 5-5, fly-half Adam Hastings' conversion striking the right post.
Hastings was soon among the points though, slotting over a penalty and then adding the conversion of a second try by Horne, set up by powerful centre Nick Grigg, after 24 minutes for a 15-5 lead.
However, it was level-pegging at half-time after the home side finished strongly.
Kirchner kicked a penalty after 36 minutes before converting a wonderful try by Rosser that was made by Amos, who broke free from inside his half and then chipped over the top for his winger to score.
Glasgow started the second half strongly but were unable to inch back in front, hindered by errors and turnovers inside the home 22.
It remained deadlocked as the hour passed and looked increasingly likely that the next score would be crucial, one that Adam Warren nearly claimed for the Dragons only for the wing to lose his footing after intercepting a long pass by Thomson.
Glasgow, who dominated possession in the second half, looked the more likely side as the game moved into the final minutes.
A break by replacement wing Niko Matawalu put them in the 22 where they attempted to set up a match-winning drop goal, but the Dragons survived to salvage a draw.
- PA
