Newport Gwent Dragons may have lost Friday night's Challenge Cup encounter against Guinness Premiership table toppers Bristol but they went down with a fight in a fiercely competitive match at the Memorial Ground.
The Dragons did, however, secure a losing bonus point which may well prove crucial at the end of the group stages. With no quarter given by either side it was a reminder of the old Anglo-Welsh derbies.
Defence was the name of the game with The Dragons outstanding, putting their bodies on the line and defending as though their lives depended upon it. However, The Dragons lineout failed to function and any momentum generated was lost as they failed to win possession. Bristol went 8-0 up at half time through a Dan Ward-Smith try on 32 minutes and a Jason Strange penalty three minutes before half time.
Wing Aled Brew reduced the deficit to a point when he burst through the Bristol defence to score under the posts. However, it was Strange who had the final say with a penalty four minutes from the final whistle.
Both sides has penalty opportunities in the first half but Strange and Sweeney were both off target. Ward-Smith then burrowed his way over for a try following a lineout before Aled Brew was sent to the sin bin for deliberately knocking the ball down and Strange's penalty saw Bristol 8-0 up.
The Dragons try came from an attacking scrum and Aled Brew came off his wing, he foiled Craig Morgan in defence to score the try and with Sweeney adding the conversion the gap was narrowed to a point.
Bristol had the final say with Strange landing a kick in front of the posts.
