Montpellier 22 Dragons 12

Demetri Catrakilis kicked 17 points and Bismarck du Plessis powered over for a try as Montpellier clinched a Challenge Cup final berth and eliminated a dogged Dragons side.

Montpellier, coached by World Cup winner Jake White, dominated the opening exchanges and enjoyed most of the territory and possession in a first half spent softening up the Dragons’ defence.

The Welsh region had the first chance to open the scoring, though, only for Dorian Jones to miss a sixth-minute penalty.

His opposite number showed him how it was done, Catrakilis hitting the mark with four successive penalties in the first half to give his side a 12-0 lead.

A neat grubber kick to the home line by Carl Meyer almost earned the Dragons a try in the opening few minutes of the second period, but that man Catrakilis landed his fifth penalty to stretch the French club’s lead to 15 points.

Then came the try that gave Montpellier what would be an unassailable lead.

Nic White spotted some space in the Dragons 22 after a turnover on halfway and his kick earned his side a five-metre line-out. Du Plessis found Pierre Spies at the tail of the line and then joined the maul to claim the try. The Catrakilis conversion was a formality and that was the end of the home side’s scoring.

Dragons hit back when Meyer set up a try for Hallam Amos and then the full back crossed for a score to ensure his side could leave the Altrad Stadium with their heads held high, although not with a spot in the final.

With Montpellier in European Rugby Challenge Cup semi-final action next weekend, we review their last appearance in the competition’s last four, in 2016, when they beat Dragons en route to claiming the title with a win over Harlequins.