Hooker Elliot Dee grabbed a dream double as Dragons opened the home season with a stunning 38-26 win in a ten-thriller derby thriller with Scarlets in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
Anzelo Tuitavuki and Dee grabbed first half tries but it was the visitors who took a slender lead to the break courtesy of two tries from Macs Page.
However, the second half saw Filo Tiatia’s men dig deep and roared on by a partisan home crowd tries from Rodrigo Martinez and Huw Anderson grabbed the try bonus point before Dee and Robert Hunt finished it off.
Maximum points at Rodney Parade and now the focus quickly switches to Ospreys on home soil this coming Friday night.
Led out by scrum half Rhodri Williams on his 150th club appearance, the home crowd were in fine voice ahead of kick-off.
But it was Scarlets that landed an early blow as, after some aerial kicking from both teams, they got outside the defence and wing Macs Page kicked ahead into space and collected his own kick to score the opener.
Dragons responded by camping down in the visiting half and crashing a driving maul up yards up field to win a first penalty. Tinus de Beer went to the corner at the first opportunity, but the maul was taken down and ball lost forward as Scarlets regrouped and held the home side at bay.
It was only a short reprieve, though, as a powerful scrum and flat pass from De Beer saw him fire a flat pass for Tuitavuki to dive into the corner. De Beer added the extras to level the scores.
Scrum half Williams showed all his tactical awareness to win a kicking territory battle and a penalty in a congested midfield saw Dragons kick deep again to launch more attacks.
The second home try duly arrived after a break from Aneurin Owen and Thomas Young won another penalty. The resulting huge driving maul was dotted down by Dee.
Scarlets, however, this time hit back within five minutes as a strong carry off back of scrum drew in players and a floated pass picked out Page for his second of the afternoon.
A scrum penalty on Scarlets ball saw Dragons kick to the corner, but the drive was disrupted before the visitors looked to run from deep but were charged down allowing Dyer to attack space before the interval.
It was Dragons who started the second half on fire when, after Dyer won the ball back from the kick off, a delayed pass from de Beer freed Anderson who in turn found a marauding Tuitavuki.
The Tongan wing was tap tackled short, but the ball was quickly picked up by prop Martinez who bulldozed over for a dream start to the second period.
Dragons made a triple change with half an hour to go with Dillon Lewis and Rhodri Jones on up front and Che Hope at nine. Fetuli Paea soon followed to replace Fine Inisi.
The topsy turvy nature of the game continued as Scarlets went to the corner after Dragons were penalised at the breakdown. The red forwards went to work with Sam O’Connor dotting down from close range.
A penalty, this time for offside against Scarlets from the restart, saw the hosts turn to the drive and win another when the visitors illegally dragged it down.
After being dragged into touch, Scarlets lost ball from the lineout but as the home side swarmed but the TMO ruled out any score.
The pressure kept coming with Paea and Keddie smashing into contact before patience as rewarded and Anderson dived over in the corner for the try bonus point.
Dyer broke from deep and yellow card was brandished to MacLeod for a cynical slap down as Dragons poured forward.
A punishing driving maul and penalty forced the visitors back to their own line. And a second go saw Dee at the back on a stunning drive.
But Scarlets were not done and they hit back with replacement Ioan Jones going over within two minutes to half the lead to five.
However, it as Dragons who had the final word as, with time almost up, the pack drove it up and Hunt bashed his way over to start wild home celebrations.
Timeline:
02m Page t Costelow c 0-7
13m Tuitavuki t De Beer c 7-7
23m Dee t 12-7
28m Page t Costelow c 12-14
42m Martinez t De Beer c 19-14
58m O’Connor t Costelow c 19-21
65m Anderson t 24-21
71m Dee t De Beer c 31-21
73m Jones t Costelow c 31-26
79m Hunt t Lloyd c 38-26
Dragons RFC: Huw Anderson, Rio Dyer, Fine Inisi (Paea 56), Aneurin Owen, Anzelo Tuitavuki, Tinus de Beer (Lloyd 74), Rhodri Williams (Hope 50); Rodrigo Martinez (Jones 50), Elliot Dee (Coghlan 71), Robert Hunt (Lewis 50-66), Seb Davies (Woodman 57), Ben Carter, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Thomas Young, Harri Keddie (Beddall 70)
Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Rhodri Jones, Dillon Lewis, Ryan Woodman, Harry Beddall, Che Hope, Jac Lloyd, Fetuli Paea
Scarlets Rugby: Blair Murray; Ellis Mee, Joe Roberts, Eddie James, Macs Page; Sam Costelow, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Harri O’Connor, Alex Groves, Sam Lousi, Josh Macleod, Dan Davis, Osian Williams.
Replacements: John McKee, Sam O’Connor, Gabe Hawley, Will Evans, Tristan Davies, Gareth Davies, Joe Hawkins, Johnny Williams.
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)
Attendance: 7,163
