Dragons end 18-game losing streak with Sharks draw

Dragons (14) 17

Tries: Wainwright, O'Brien Cons: De Beer 2 Pen: De Beer

Sharks (17) 17

Tries: Orie, V Tshituka Cons: Smith 2 Pen: Smith

Dragons ended their 18-game losing streak successful nan United Rugby Championship (URC) by drafting 17-17 pinch Sharks astatine Rodney Parade.

Filo Tiatia's men shared nan spoils successful rainy Newport but will consciousness it should person been a first location triumph since nan opening play of past season.

Sharks led 17-14 astatine half-time acknowledgment to close-range tries by fastener Marvin Orie and number 8 Vincent Tshituka either broadside of scores by Dragons number 8 Aaron Wainwright and full-back Angus O'Brien.

Dragons sewage nan only points of nan 2nd half done a Tinus de Beer penalty, but could not find a victor aft turning down a straightforward drop-goal effort successful nan dying seconds.

Dragons made a sloppy commencement and paid nan value erstwhile Sharks kicked a punishment to nan area and past Orie powered complete for an eighth-minute effort that fly-half Jean Smith converted.

The location broadside levelled pinch their first onslaught of statement aft a powerful burst by Paea and past Wainwright's beardown statement and accelerated finish.

De Beer converted but Smith responded pinch a 19th infinitesimal punishment to put Sharks 10-7 up.

Paea was to nan fore again aft 25 minutes erstwhile he burst done from midfield partner Aneurin Owen's short shot and, aft bumping disconnected helping Christie Grobbelaar, stayed cool to put O'Brien over, pinch De Beer making it 14-10.

However, Sharks went to their changing room pinch a 17-14 lead aft reaping nan rewards of kicking to nan area and hammering distant for skipper Tshituka to spell complete for a effort that Smith converted.

Dragons were denied a 3rd effort 4 minutes aft nan restart erstwhile TMO footage revealed a knock-on by Wyn Jones earlier helping Rio Dyer went complete from a cross-kick.

They suffered nan rustle of losing Paea and conditions became progressively challenging arsenic nan crippled entered nan last 4th without immoderate second-half scores.

That led to Dragons opting for nan posts pinch a punishment and De Beer levelled up nan scores pinch 4th of an hr to go.

Sharks' scrum power led to nan hosts finishing nan crippled down to 14 men aft a yellowish paper for replacement tight-head prop Chris Coleman.

Dragons escaped an battle connected their statement and vanished nan crippled hunting a victor pinch nan timepiece successful nan reddish but blew their chance.

They person 3 much chances for a triumph successful nan first artifact of nan URC pinch a travel to Glasgow and location derbies against Cardiff and Ospreys.

Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Dyer, Paea, Owen, Inisi; De Beer, R Williams; W Jones, Coghlan, Hunt, Screech, Carter (co-capt), Woodman, Lewis-Hughes, Wainwright.

Replacements: Burrows, Martinez, Coleman, Douglas, Keddie, Hope, Ackerman, Anderson.

Sharks: Van der Merwe; Sobahle, Julius, Am, Grobbelaar; J Smith, Ja Hendrikse; Matanzima, Mbatha, Dreyer, Slabbert, Orie, Buthelezi, M Tshituka, V Tshituka (capt).

Replacements: Swart, Dawson, Dlamini, Hlekani, Hatton, Braude, F Venter, Kunene.

Referee: Fillipo Russo (FIR)

Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse, Lucas Yendle (WRU).

TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)