Victory for the Gwent region saw them temporarily top their pool ahead of a crucial fixture against Newcastle Falcons next weekend. A brace of tries from centre Adam Warren and a second half touchdown from blindside flanker Aaron Wainwright was enough to see off fierce resistance from the visitors.
Despite travelling over 3,000 miles Rodney Parade would have felt like home for the Siberian outfit with showers of snow throughout the game. Enisei made life extremely difficult for the Dragons starving them of possession for much of the first half.
But after a scoreless first quarter the hosts grabbed their first try when outside half Arwel Robson, who formed the youngest half back partnership in European competition history with 17 year-old Dan Babos, glided past three defenders to put Warren over.
But the Russian outfit proved they were anything but whipping boys by going down the other end and came close to opening their account. Yuri Kushnarev made the initial dart and wing Richard Kingi looked to be set for a go at the whitewash but scrum-half Alexey Shcherban’s pass went to the ground instead of into the wingers hands.
The closest Enisei came to scoring was on the stroke of half time when, after a number of powerful carries, blindside flanker Mikheil Gachechiladze appeared to score. But the try was disallowed meaning the Dragons turned around 5-0 to the good at half-time.
The introduction of Gavin Henson sparked the Dragons into life in the second half with his range of passing almost putting Jarred Rosser in who was tackled into touch just short of the try line after the former Wales centre had put him into space. The home sides pack began to win the physical collisions in the second half with Wainwright gathering a grubber kick from full back Angus O’Brien to cross in the far right-hand corner.
With the Russians tiring Warren sealed the victory with the sides third try, touching down in the corner as a result of a cross kick from O’Brien.
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