Dragons coach lauds Warriors after win in Wales

Alex Dunbar and Glasgow put together another fine performance. Picture: SNS

Dragons 13-33 Glasgow Warriors

Scorers: Newport Gwent Dragons: Try: Rees. Con: O’Brien. Pens: O’Brien (2). Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Dunbar, Seymour, Strauss, Swinson. Cons: Weir (2). Pens – Weir (2), Hogg.

He waxed lyrical about the way Glasgow put his own team to the sword, especially ruthless after going down to 14 men when flanker Tyrone Holmes was sent off early in the second half.

At that stage Glasgow were just seven points ahead and could easily have seen their early control going to waste. Instead the 14 men produced their best rugby and Glasgow stretched away with ease to claim their first bonus point win and maintain their 100 per cent record.

It sets up a top-of-the-table clash against Connacht this weekend, with both teams having already beaten defending champions Leinster, but Jones for one can only see the game going one way if Glasgow continue to hit their straps.

“I don’t see there is a team that can test Glasgow at the moment to be honest, they have too much in their armoury,” was the verdict of the Dragons’ director of rugby.

“Their squad is too deep and they have a lot of quality. They just have too much speed, too much class for Connacht. It shows the quality of Glasgow at the moment. I thought the rugby they put together was sublime, they are surfing the top of the wave at the moment and confidence is high.

“They control the game very well and are looking more and more like a European quarters, semi-final team every time I see them play.

“You have to put your hand up and give credit; they have come down to Wales twice in six days and taken two 30 pointers, you have to say ‘well done’.”

Glasgow were not giving themselves too many congratulations, but there was a quiet satisfaction that they bounced back so smoothly from the harsh sending off.

The gap between the sides was reduced to just seven points with Glasgow down to 14 men, but full-back Stuart Hogg managed to draw the defence and then put wing Tommy Seymour clear down the right hand touchline for the try that allowed them to relax.

“The boys reacted well and, more importantly, went out and played hard with the guys who were still on the pitch and went out and got a result,” said Seymour.

“You go down to 14 men, it is not ideal, the pressure it causes you is obvious. We grouped together well with the 14 who remained on the park and went out and dealt with them.

“It was down to a seven-point game then and swings can happen even with 15 guys on the park, but we will look at the positives.”

Seymour’s try came on top of a first half effort from centre Alex Dunbar, taking the ball flat in midfield.

However the best try, in some ways, was the third, finished off by captain Josh Strauss after a passage of composed recycling of possession and forward movement.

A lineout drive brought the bonus point with a try for lock Tim Swinson.

Newport Gwent Dragons: H Amos; T Prydie, B John, D Jones, A Brew; A O’Brien, R Rees; B Stankovich, R Thomas, L Fairbrother, C Hill, L Landman, L Evans, N Cudd, T Faletau. Subs: E Dee for Thomas 55, H Gustafson for Screech 66, D Way for Fairbrother 43, Fairbrother for Way 70, M Screech for Hill 63, A Powell for L Evans 63, L Jones for Rees 70, A Hewitt for A Brew 70, B Nightingale for D Jones 66.

Glasgow Warriors: S Hogg; T Seymour, A Dunbar, P Horne, DTH van der Merwe; D Weir, N Matawalu; G Reid, K Bryce, E Murray, T Swinson, L Nakarawa, R Harley, T Holmes, J Strauss (Capt). Subs: F Brown for Bryce 51, A Alan for Reid 63, R de Klerk for Murray 58, J Eddie for Harley 55, A Ashe for Strauss 63 , H Pyrgos for Matawalu 36 . Not used: C Fusaro, L Jones.