Dragons hold on in tense New Year's day derby as pressure builds on Scarlets

The Dragons kicked off 2024 with a tense 13-12 victory over the Scarlets as they only added to the pressure on Dwayne Peel at a wet Rodney Parade.

The boot of Cai Evans and a try from centurion Aaron Wainwright secured them a narrow and timely victory for coach Dai Flanagan, despite scores from Tom Rogers and Ioan Lloyd giving the Scarlets late hope. However, a missed penalty from Sam Costelow proved costly as the Scarlets started the year in the same manner they ended it.

Both teams headed into this one with the pressure rising externally after a troubling end to 2023.

The Dragons' Boxing Day hammering at Cardiff had raised questions over whether Flanagan was the man to lead them forward. Unfortunately for Scarlets coach Peel, those same queries had been floating around from much earlier in the season.

With barely a win to rub together between them, this one had the feeling of a must-win for both sides.

The weather at Rodney Parade didn't exactly help matters. The rain started long before kick-off and never stopped.

In the context of both teams' struggles, and in these conditions, the performance for either side ultimately didn't matter. The result mattered when it came to starting 2024.

And with that in mind, the Dragons set about largely keeping the Scarlets pinned back in their own half in the opening exchanges.

An early Evans penalty gave them the lead, with another effort from the tee drifting wide. Eventually, Peel's side started to establish a bit of a foothold, having barely ventured outside of their own half in the opening quarter.

With their kicking game getting a bit more purchase in the conditions, they forged ahead on 21 minutes with what might have been their only foray into the Dragons' 22 in the