Where the Dragons stand after the opening round of Challenge Cup fixtures

THE Ospreys and Pau succeeded where the Dragons failed by getting off to winning starts on home soil in Pool Two of the Challenge Cup.

The only away winners in the six-team group on opening weekend of the competition were Montpellier, who managed to withstand late pressure at Rodney Parade on Friday night to triumph 18-14.

The Ospreys are the early pace-setters in the pool after a bonus-point 30-14 win over the Lions in a game shifted to Parc y Scarlets because of Storm Darragh.

Toby Booth’s side took command thanks to tries by back rower Jac Morgan, wing Keelan Giles and scrum-half Kieran Hardy, then replacement fly-half Dan Edwards scored what could be a vital fourth, also ensuring the Lions were pointless.

Newcastle suffered a 32-19 defeat in Pau despite taking the lead three teams, leaving the Stade de Hameau with nothing to show for their efforts.

Ollie Fletcher’s two tries, the first of which was converted by Kieran Wilkinson, had the visitors 7-3 and 12-11 ahead.

Freddie Lockwood also crossed on the hour – despite Falcons wing Ben Stevenson being in the sin bin at the time – with Brett Connon’s conversion making it 19-18 to Newcastle, but they could not hold on in the south of France.

Tries from Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, Jimi Maximin, Youri Delhommel and Eliott Roudil, coupled with 12 points from the boot of Axel Desperes, ultimately saw the hosts across the line.

The Ospreys and Pau are both on five points, Montpellier are on four, the Dragons one with Newcastle and the Lions yet to get off the mark.

With four of the six teams progressing to the last 16, the losers of Sunday’s clash between Newcastle and the Dragons at Kingston Park will be up against it.

The other two fixtures are on Saturday with Montpellier hosting the Ospreys while Pau travel to Johannesburg to face the Lions, with the French side unlikely to take their big hitters given that they face Toulon in the Top 14 seven days later.

The Dragons host Pau and travel to the Lions in January after festive derbies against Cardiff (home) and the Scarlets (away).