Pro 12 Friday 11th September

Newport-Gwent Dragons 13-0 Zebre 

Newport Gwent Dragons secured their first win of the Pro12 season but were left frustrated by Italian side Zebre.

Ed Jackson scored the game's only try, which Jason Tovey converted having earlier scored two penalties.

Neither side scored in a lacklustre second half, with Dragons securing their first win after a narrow defeat away to Connacht.


Zebre remain winless, losing a second successive game in Wales following a heavy loss at Cardiff Blues.

Tovey's two early penalties put the home side in control before Zebre were reduced to 14 men when captain George Biagi was yellow carded.

Dragons took full advantage of Biagi's absence as former Wasps back-rower Jackson crossed for the opening try on his home debut with Tovey converting.

Ulrich Beyers failed with two penalty attempts for the visitors and Dragons went in at half-time leading 13-0.

Lyn Jones's side had the majority of the possession and territorial advantage but found Zebre hard to break down after the interval.


Number eight Dries van Schalkwyk became the second Zebre player to be yellow carded but Dragons failed to capitalise as they laboured to their first win.


Glasgow 33-32 Connacht 

Defending Pro12 champions Glasgow Warriors claimed their first win of the season after surviving a determined fight-back from Connacht.

Tries by Glenn Bryce and Scott Cummings helped Glasgow build up a 23-6 advantage at the break.

Rob Harley crossed for the hosts early in the second half but John Cooney then touched down for Connacht.

A penalty try and scores by Fionn Carr and Nepia Fox-Matanua gave Glasgow further concern but they held on.

Connacht leave Scotstoun with a losing bonus point to add to the four they picked up last week against Newport Gwent Dragons.

The scoreline reflected a fairly mixed performance from the Warriors in their second successive home match, having lost by six points to Scarlets last week.

They started sluggishly and, for a brief moment, Connacht thought they had scored the opening try in fairly bizarre circumstances.

Junior Bulumakau retrieved the ball after it had gone into touch and threw it towards a team-mate in preparation for a line-out.

But Carr intercepted as the ball came back on to the field and touched down.


Referee Ian Davies consulted the TMO and the officials deemed that Bulumakau's throw was not intended as a line-out.

Jack Carty and Rory Clegg exchanged penalties before Gregor Townsend's side began to find their rhythm and Clegg added two more successful kicks.

A sustained period of phases eventually yielded the opening try as Bryce burst through from deep after receiving Clegg's pass and the full-back's pace took him past the Connacht defence. Clegg's conversion hit the post on its way through.

Mike Blair, making his first competitive start for Glasgow, off-loaded from a scrum very near the line for 18-year-old Cummings to bustle his way over and Clegg again added the extras.

Carty kicked another penalty just before the turnaround but that offered only temporary respite for the Irish province as Glasgow capitalised on an error right at the start of the second period.

Scrum-half Cooney slipped as he attempted a kick following a line-out and Harley took full advantage by cantering over unchallenged.

However, Cooney quickly atoned for his mistake when he received Eoghan Masteron's pass and ran in Connacht's first try. Carty converted.

The momentum was now with the visitors and, after several warnings to the players by Davies, Glasgow replacement prop Zander Fagerson was sin-binned for early engagement.

Connacht then got their penalty try and Carty added the conversion.

The pressure on the depleted hosts continued and a superb grubber kick by Rory Parata sent Carr on his way for the score. However, on this occasion Carty could not convert, leaving them five points behind.

Glasgow knew they needed to stem the flow of attacks and managed to temporarily re-gain the initiative.

Though the TMO ruled that Adam Ashe had not scored a fourth Glasgow try after being crowded out on the line, another penalty by Clegg opened up a more comfortable gap.


But Fox-Matamua's touchdown from a maul and Carty's conversion made for a frantic last few minutes and Glasgow were received when a Connacht knock-on brought proceedings to a halt.