Newport Gwent Dragons edged a thrilling Cup final, as Harrison Keddie scored a try with the final play to give the Welsh side the edge over Wasps.
Newport Gwent Dragons Win Singha 7s
In what was an eventful night of sevens rugby at The Stoop, the winners and runners up from each of the four pool tournaments faced off all aiming to be crowned Singha Premiership Sevens Champions.
Quarter Finals
Newport Dragons and Sale Sharks got the action at the Stoop underway, and despite having Elliot Frewen and Geraint Rhys Jones yellow carded during the match, Dragons prevailed 24-10. The second quarter final saw Harlequins take on Gloucester with Harlequins looking to draw on home field advantage. However after finding themselves 31-7 down a late comeback fell short as tries from Senitiki Nayalo and Robbie Nairn (2) could only bring the score to 31-26. Wasps picked up the imperious form they had showed in the pool games defeating quarter final opponents Exeter Chiefs 33-5. Newcastle Falcons against Scarlets rounded out the quarter final line up with the Welsh club overcoming a 19-12 half time deficit to win 31-26 to be the only pool runner up to make the Cup semi finals.
Plate Semi Finals
Harlequins faced Sale Sharks in the first plate semi final and the first half proved a tight affair, as the teams could not be separated as the half ended all tied up at 19-19. A further try a piece left the score at 26-24, before Sale took control with tries from Jennings, Neild and Dever to win 45-24 and advance to the Plate final. The second plate semi final between Exeter Chiefs and Newcastle Falcons was a close game from start to finish with the Chiefs edging the Falcons by a single conversion 14-12.
Cup Semi Finals
Newport Gwent Dragons battled Gloucester in the first of the Cup Semi Finals. Tries from James Benjamin and Ashton Hewitt gave the Dragons a 12-0 lead before Gloucester battled back to take the lead 14-12 with tries from Protheroe and Vallacott. However it was the Welsh side that advanced to the final as Harrison Keddie scored to see the Dragons win 19-14. Wasps faced off against Scarlets in the second Cup semi final. Two tries each from Alex Lozowski and Josh Bassett plus one from Joe Simpson, saw Wasps cruise past the Scarlets 33-12 and into the final.
Plate Final
The Plate final saw Sale Sharks and Exeter Chiefs face off to take home the evenings first piece of silverware. The teams both scored early to tie the game up at 7-7 before Sam Simmonds and Stuart Townsend gave Exeter a 19-7 lead. A James Mitchell try gave the Sharks hope, but an Alex Ducker score ensured John O’Donnell’s late try for Sale was nothing more than consolation as the Chiefs won the Plate 26-19.
Cup Final
Wasps and Newport Gwent Dragons contested the Cup final; with the Dragons getting off to a great start as Elliot Frewen scored a try to give the Dragons a 7-0 lead. Christian Wade, who was having a quite night by his standards after seven tries in the pool stages, troubled the score sheet for the first time all evening as the two sides went in at the half deadlocked 7-7. James Benjamin put the Dragons ahead once again 12-7, before Wade’s second try allowed Wasps to take a 14-12 lead heading into the final stages. However as in the semi final it was Harrison Keddie who had the final word, scoring a try with the final play of the tournament, as the Newport Gwent Dragons were crowned Singha Premiership Sevens Champions 2015.
Main Photo
