Just keep grafting, Young tells Dragons

6:00am Saturday 19th January 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Chris Kirwan

MESSAGE: Wasps chief Dai Young MESSAGE: Wasps chief Dai Young

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have been told there is nothing they can do but plough on and graft in their bid to turn heartbreaking defeats into hard-fought victories.

Former Cardiff Blues boss Dai Young believes the region are getting the most out of what is at their disposal this season and that they can only wait until their luck changes.

Ex-Wales prop Young read the riot act to his Wasps charges in the Rodney Parade changing rooms on Thursday evening – yet their “awful” performance still earned them a 20-19 Amlin Challenge Cup win.

It left the opposition boss almost apologetic.

“I really feel for the Dragons,” said Young. “They deserve a lot of credit but in Wales we are good at knocking people rather than getting behind them.

“I don’t think there is much more the coaches can squeeze out of this team, they are giving everything that they’ve got.

“Consider the budget that they’ve got and then look at the last couple of weeks, they were the better side against Cardiff Blues and should have won, they were the better side against Bayonne and should have won, and against us they were the better side and should have won.

“I am sure that will turn around and those narrow losses will become narrow wins.

“I knew before coming to Rodney Parade that we would have to earn the victory and I am not sure we did, they deserved it.

“The Dragons didn’t play much rugby but they were far more accurate and far more energetic.

“Everybody wants to knock them but if they carry on playing like they have done in the last three weeks they will pick up some victories very shortly.”

The Dragons, who have lost their last five games, will hope that elusive win comes next Saturday when the Ospreys head to Newport in the LV= Cup.

And captain Lewis Evans admits a victory is needed to boost a squad that is flagging after their failure to convert pressure into wins.

“It really does demoralise us,” said the flanker. “I sat next to Rob Sidoli in the changing rooms and it’s killing him.

“A win would have changed the mood and made things positive. Everyone has bruised and battered bodies but things don’t hurt quite as much when you have a win under your belt.

“Watching the game back will be uncomfortable viewing yet again because we lost another one that we should have won.

“We have our backs against the wall but we are digging in deep and working hard.

“The boys are putting their bodies on the line, there’s never a lack of application but unfortunately it’s the same old story.”

Comments(18)

Robert Shillabeer says...
9:54am Sat 19 Jan 13

Fifty percent of this interview is politeness the rest is fact. The Dragons could have won it if Pridey had his kicking boots on and the ref was better. It's water under the bridge now but people really need to get more supportive of the team instead of throwing insults at the everyday.

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let em swing says...
10:50am Sat 19 Jan 13

If only we could get Nigel Owens every week eh Rob, we would be world beaters.

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broadsworddan says...
11:09am Sat 19 Jan 13

If Darren Edwards had seen what everyone else could see, he would have subbed dan evans off at half time. He was plainly having a howler. His kicking from hand was so low, he was charged down from ten yards away. Steffan jones had a brilliant seven minutes when he came on and nearly turned the game. If Darren had given him longer, I'm pretty sure we'd have won. Also should have subbed Dan Way off sooner. What's he playing at? If we can see when people need to be subbed on/off, why can't he. Darren's management of the bench lost us that game.

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stuart21 says...
1:55pm Sat 19 Jan 13

Bring back Nigel Owens you must be joking hes so biased against us has cost us many games over the years as does James Jones..

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Robert Shillabeer says...
2:26pm Sat 19 Jan 13

let em swing wrote:
If only we could get Nigel Owens every week eh Rob, we would be world beaters.
At least he is honest, read his book and you will see how true that is. He does make mistakes just as other do but not such blatant incompetence as the ref on Thursday, but then he was only starting as a young ref.

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stuart21 says...
2:30pm Sat 19 Jan 13

i cant understand Edwards selection and subbing in the front row it definite ly cost us the game,and if the kicks had been converted we would have won with ease

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Robert Shillabeer says...
2:30pm Sat 19 Jan 13

stuart21 wrote:
Bring back Nigel Owens you must be joking hes so biased against us has cost us many games over the years as does James Jones..
How Jones is still a ref beats me he is so bias it unbelievable, but that's the power of the refs body, mistakes always hidden away and not made public on the grounds that they want to attract new refs to start. Really can't stand the heat of critisism in nearer the truth.

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stuart21 says...
2:38pm Sat 19 Jan 13

with Owens if we are playing any other welsh side we got no chance,we are playing against 16 men,then he yellow cards us or gives penalty tries.he a waste of space so overrated

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Doberman1 says...
3:43pm Sat 19 Jan 13

"The Dragons didn’t play much rugby but they were far more accurate and far more energetic"

We never do play much rugby Dai and that's why we get beat all the time!

We can try and blame the ref every game but the real fans know where the blame lies, and it's not the players. Change the coach or get more of the same week in week out.

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stuart21 says...
6:20pm Sat 19 Jan 13

IF THE DRAGONS DONT change the coach soon we will be lucky to sell 1000 season tickets next year,cant anyone see the decline on the terraces.

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kalwales@hotmail.com says...
10:06am Mon 21 Jan 13

Pathetic and yet again more excuses from the "Fans" - look abit closer to home if you want to blame soneone & not the COACH !

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corpardguy says...
4:13pm Mon 21 Jan 13

Finally got to the game on the tele, I agree with Dai, keep on keeping on.
At least we "fronted up" up Front and second half we were clearly the better of two pretty average sides. But the Dragons did show a lot of passion and nous at the breakdown, Lewis and Nic are a really dangerous and hard working pair and with with Mr, Poole surely the hardest tacklers in the Rabo!
Yes there is a lot to build on and I respect that, but we do so desperately need a win not just for the fans but for the team.
Also agree with "broadswordan" about the subs and with Prydie having an off night Steffan could have made the difference, but Dan's game management was pretty good and he kept pinning them back and with Wade completely penned up by Nic and Poolie the counters were well covered. Good follow-up chases seem to be becoming more common too (a good thing) well done there boys, please keep it up.
Right , we should win a couple before too much longer, which still won't save the season but and lets crack on and hope next season goes a lot better after two very poor and scrappy years. Surely 2013 is the last chance saloon for DE

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Goldy_Lookin_Clart says...
5:12pm Mon 21 Jan 13

This season ticket holder wont be renewing his place on the hazzle terrace next season like. Heard all this nonsense for too long like.
I say sell the land for housing and share the spoils of the dosh amongst shareholders.
Time to make the trip to Kaaardiff like them shopperz!!!!!

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Robert Shillabeer says...
8:27pm Tue 22 Jan 13

Goldy_Lookin_Clart wrote:
This season ticket holder wont be renewing his place on the hazzle terrace next season like. Heard all this nonsense for too long like.
I say sell the land for housing and share the spoils of the dosh amongst shareholders.
Time to make the trip to Kaaardiff like them shopperz!!!!!
Well this guy will renew next season as will all my mates. DE has another year on his contract and who knows if he will be offered an extension or even want one. As Corpardguy has said we need a win to give the guys some hope and pride even if only to show thier on the right road.

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stuart21 says...
2:39pm Wed 23 Jan 13

We know the potential is there we have some great youngsters there or there about but we tend not to have a planB to kill these teams off and bury them..We will click oneday and be awesome lets hope its soon.

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stuart21 says...
3:03pm Wed 23 Jan 13

Can someone at Rodney Parade do something about the lighting at the back of the Hazell stand i picked up two people that fellover at the last game its so dark there , There a re lights there but not working..,,,,, .... .

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Robert Shillabeer says...
4:28pm Wed 23 Jan 13

stuart21 wrote:
We know the potential is there we have some great youngsters there or there about but we tend not to have a planB to kill these teams off and bury them..We will click oneday and be awesome lets hope its soon.
True we need the turn round soon, but have you looked at the fixtures ahead? None are easy games the advantage being most are home games, we need to put games to bed early enough to let us hold onto any lead we build. A good scrum will help on that by not being bossed about so much, something that has been seen lately but not yet strong enough, more work needed there.

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kalwales@hotmail.com says...
7:31am Thu 24 Jan 13

always rely on these pages to make me smile in the morning

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