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The Dragons fell short in Montpellier but there were some standout performances
15:14, 03 May 2026
Dragons centre Aneurin Owen with ball in hand(Image: Icon Sport/Huw Evans Agency)
The Dragons fell agonisingly short in their bid to reach the final of the EPCR Challenge Cup after slipping to a narrow 18-12 defeat to Montpellier.
Filo Tiatia’s side threw the kitchen sink at the French giants but didn’t have enough to get over the line.
Here are your player ratings.
15. Angus O’Brien 7
The 31-year-old has received rave reviews for his performances this season and he was good again in Montpellier.
O’Brien kicked very well out of hand, his distribution was also effective and his late kick-pass came agonisingly close to opening up the Montpellier defence.
But his knock-on in the Dragons’ 22 under very little pressure resulted in Alexis Bernadet’s decisive try.
14. David Richards 6
The Dragons wing was a constant threat with ball in hand and troubled the Montpellier defence on a number of occasions.
But his wayward pass to the unmarked Thomas Young within the first two minutes of the game — the rugby equivalent of missing an open goal — proved to be the difference in the end.
13. Fine Inisi 6
The Tonga centre carried well and provided some much-needed physicality to the Dragons midfield.
Inisi made some big tackles that unsettled the Montpellier centres while he also gained yards with ball in hand.
12. Aneurin Owen 8
The Dragons centre’s passing at the point of contact opened up the Montpellier defence on a couple of occasions.
Owen defended very well, claimed a well-deserved first-half try, and then hit a superb angle for his second.
11. Rio Dyer 7
The Wales wing was into everything and did remarkably well to prevent Cadot from scoring in the first-half.
Dyer was very strong under the high ball and made other crucial tackles, while he also looked threatening on the rare occasions he was put in space.
10. Tinus de Beer 7
The South African playmaker put his body on the line in defence and was a constant attacking threat throughout.
De Beer always looked to add pace to the game and made a couple of linebreaks but he was perhaps guilty of overplaying at times.
9. Niall Armstrong 7
The Irishman played well, getting the ball away quickly while his kicking game was also good.
It was Armstrong’s chip over the top of the Montpellier defence that put Tom Banks under huge pressure and resulted in Aneurin Owen’s try.
8. Aaron Wainwright 8
The Wales No 8 carried well and made those all-important post-contact metres for the Dragons.
Wainwright made 16 carries – the second most of any player on the field – while he also made 12 tackles.
7. Thomas Young 8 (Star man)
The Dragons are a different team when Young plays.
Young was everywhere, finishing as the top tackler with 21 while he also won three turnovers including a crucial steal on his own line.
He was also extremely dynamic with ball in hand, making some vital metres.
6. Ryan Woodman 6
The former Wales U20s captain worked hard throughout and was instrumental in nullifying Montpellier’s driving lineout.
There were two occasions where the hosts looked almost certain to score but the Dragons pack succeeded in keeping them out close to the line and Woodman was a big reason for that.
But there was little in the way of carries.
5. Ben Carter 8
The Wales second-row had a fine game and got through a mountain of work.
In total Carter made 15 tackles and six carries as he put himself about.
The 25-year-old also played a big part in stopping Montpellier’s driving lineout and led from the front.
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4. Levi Douglas 6
The giant second-row put in a huge defensive shift, making 13 tackles.
He added some much-needed physicality to the Dragons pack but didn’t make a single carry and shot out of the line for Montpellier’s first try.
But he did do a lot of the unseen dirty work.
3. Chris Coleman 6
It was a mixed bag at the scrum with Montpellier shoving the Dragons backwards on a couple of occasions but on the whole Coleman anchored the set-piece well.
Coleman made seven tackles but there was only one carry.
2. Elliot Dee 6
The experienced hooker put in a big defensive shift with 11 tackles.
But the lineout malfunctioned at times and Dee has to take some of the responsibility for that.
1. Rodrigo Martinez 6
The scrum was hit and miss but the Argentinian was very prominent around the park putting in an enormous 15 tackles which was the second highest from any player on the field.
Replacements
16. Brodie Coghlan 6
Coghlan found his man at the lineout and carried well.
17. Wyn Jones 6
The experienced prop helped solidify the Dragons scrum.
18. Dillon Lewis 6
Lewis scrummaged well and made four carries during his time on the field.
19. Seb Davies 6
The former Cardiff lock put himself about upon entering the fray early in the second-half.
20. Harrison Keddie 6
Put in a strong defensive shift.
21. Morgan Lloyd 6
Slick service and kicked well.
22. Fetuli Paea 6
Punched a few holes into the Montpellier defence
23. Huw Anderson 7
The former Wales U20s full-back is a real livewire with ball in hand and caused Montpellier problems.
