RugbyRebels

Ospreys make about 5 simultaneous substitutions on 62 minutes. Still 21-17 Newcastle

Ifan Phillips for Parry and Protheroe for Giles should improve things, neither were playing well

2 dickheadish penalties from the Ospreys, 1 for ripping after a tackle, and then pulling down in the lineout, and Newcastle almost drive over. TMO says it is short. Still penalty Newcastle 5 metres out.

A succession of drives and its a Newcastle drive over under the sticks. 28-17 with 11 minutes to go. Fair play Newcastle but this is loose from Ospreys

Ospreys have a lineout from a scrum penalty, almost mess it up with some headless chicken attacking, but try under the sticks. 28-24 Newcastle with 8 minutes to go.

Rhys Davies on and wins a penalty. Ospreys win lineout on the 22 but then concede at the breakdown. Newcastle loose head turns over Venter, ref speaks to him but doesn’t reverse the penalty. Venter gets a lot of strapping on his right knee

Ospreys concede yet another penalty for a high tackle, when Newcastle were chasing a kick and scrambling. They are a man up (Mark Wilson was binned a minute ago) but 3 minutes to go, that might be it. Ospreys also temporarily down to 14, Kieran Williams seems to have got a bump on the nose in conceding the penalty

Scrum Newcastle on the 22 with 2 minutes to go. Ospreys looked like they had an interception and an overlap, but there was a slight knock on

And Newcastle hold on. They took their chances and the Ospreys p***ed off the ref a bit too much. I have to say, I thought the Blues and Ospreys were strong favourites on paper, but they have both been done. I make the Dragons and Scarlets second favourites for their games, hope I am wrong !

Tidy first few minutes for the Dragons. The Northampton tight head (Painter) looks like a giant, but Bateman has had him on toast in the first 3 scrums. Early penalty and its 3-0.

The Dragons are wearing their silver and pink kits, in an attempt to fool the opposition into thinking they are a French team.

Northampton look really lively in attack, breaks down in the 22 and Elliott Dee makes a break, tries a Seb Davies kick but it goes into touch.

Harum scarum phase play for the Dragons, looking like they could lose it at any moment, but Hewitt dabs down in the corner. Super conversion from Davies and its 10-0 Dragons after 12 minutes.

It’s early days, and I obviously want the Dragons to win, but Northampton play some nice rugby.

Sustained pressure from Northampton and thy have a penalty under the posts. 10-3. Slight cultural confusion here, Northampton are easy on the eye, Dragons are looking to get Moriarty or Roberts to do damage close to the breakdown.

2 minutes later, great break Dragons and they have about 5 goes at driving over, but are repelled. Looked like Jordan Williams was taken out off the ball in the build up, when Moriarty was about to release him...

Yep, Sleightholme in the bin, TMO looking to see whether Dragons scored, Screech got over the line

Screech got it down - and its a try after a long committee meeting. 17-3 Dragons and a man up after 26 minutes. I thought Screech had dropped it in real time

Northampton not straight at a lineout and Dragons get consecutive scum penalties. The second penalty was very kickable but they have gone for touch.

Decision justified by a second try for Ashton Hewitt who was hurt in the act of scoring

Beautiful flick pass by Sam Davies to put Hewitt in, but he looks to have twisted his knee in the tackle. Tompkins is on in his stead. 22-3 after 34 minutes (conversion missed)

Northampton hit back, looked like. Dangerous clear out from the ruck but the ref has gone with it. Nice phase play from the visitors but the outside half cleared out at the ruck with his forearm under the ref’s nose. There you go. 22 10 on 37 minutes and hope for the visitors before half time

Dragons get into the 22 on the back of a lovely break from Jordan Williams but they mess up their lines and it’s a forward pass from Roberts

Another lovely break from Williams repelled on half time. 22-10 after a very entertaining first 40.

Hmm. I had a feeling that the Dragons needed to be further ahead at half time. Smart break from the kick off from Northampton, and Sleightholme fends off Tompkins to score 34 seconds into the half. Another quality conversion and in no time it is 22-17, having been 22-3.

Not so clever from Northampton at the next drop out. Penalty Dragons, Davies goes for the sticks to try and increase the lead to 8. The kick is wide out but Davies nails it. 25-17 after 43 minutes.