The French club’s South African contingent earned them their ticket to their first European final as outside half Demetri Catrakilis punished the Dragons with 17 points as he landed all six kicks and ex-Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis powered over for a try.
But the Dragons earned huge praise for their brave defensive display and actually outscored their hosts by two tries to one with a strong fightback in the final quarter after falling 22 points behind. It was their third semi-final, all of them away from home, and it was easily their best performance.
Montpellier enjoyed most of the territory and possession in a first-half spent softening up the Dragons defence. Even so, the visitors had the first chance to open the scoring, but Dorian Jones missed with a sixth minute penalty.
His opposite number, however, was in no mood to miss. Catrakilis hit the mark with four successive penalties in the first-half to give his side a 12-0 lead. Dragons coach Kingsley Jones admitted at half-time his side needed to sort out their scrum, which was wilting under the pressure of two Springbok World Cup winners in the home front row.
A neat grubber kick to the home line by Meyer almost earned the Dragons a try in the opening few minutes of the second period, but that man Catrakilis added more points from his boot to stretch the lead to 15 points. Â
Then Australian scrum half Nic White, on as a replacement, spotted some space in the Dragons 22 after a turn-over on half way and his pin-point kick earned his side a five metre line-out. Bismarck du Plessis found fellow Springbok Pierre Spies at the tail of the line and then joined the pack to claim the try.
The Catrakilis conversion was a formality, and extended the lead to 22-0, but the Dragons refused to wilt. Meyer set up a try for Hallam Amos and then the full back crossed for a scored to ensure his side could leave the Altrad Stadium with their heads held high. Angus O’Brien added the conversion to cut the gap to 10 points in the end.
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