NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have been keen to stress all summer that this is the start of a new era, that they are starting afresh and determined to establish a new culture.

The plush new training base at Ystrad Mynach is rightly seen as a landmark moment for a region that has always lagged behind when it comes to facilities.

It is a statement that the Dragons are no longer content with being the whipping boys of Welsh rugby and they have set their sights high.

Director of rugby Lyn Jones, captain Lee Byrne, seasoned campaigners Aled Brew and Ian Gough have all said that the aim is to become Wales' best. That's ambitious given that the Dragons have propped up the pile in eight of 11 seasons.

But the summer recruitment has been good given the limitations on all the regions; there is now a nice blend of youth and experience after a huge summer turnover.

The aim has been to bring in players with success on their rugby CVs to influence the likes of Jack Dixon, Tyler Morgan, Hallam Amos, Elliot Dee, Angus O'Brien, Joe Davies and many more.

The hope is that the Dragons will no longer be burdened by their past, but unfortunately their Guinness Pro12 opener suggests that history still weighs heavy on their shoulders.

A losing bonus point from Connacht was not a disaster but it was a game that was there for the taking.

Their hosts were off-colour, would Cardiff Blues, the Ospreys or Scarlets have taken advantage to emerge victorious? I am pretty sure they would have.

It was a wasted opportunity to state that this is a bright new beginning for the Rodney Parade region rather than the same old, same old.

Stats can be used and abused but here is some alarming Dragons data from the Celtic League:

- They have not finished in the top half in nine seasons

- They have gone six seasons without winning more than two away fixtures in a campaign

- They have not won in Ireland since beating Ulster in Belfast six years, enduring an 18-game winless streak

- They have won just three away derbies (in Cardiff in 2003, in Llanelli in 2007 and Swansea in 2010)

If the Dragons are to progress then they need to end some of those hoodoos, which is why Galway was so galling.

And it's also why tomorrow's game with the Ospreys and the following fixtures against Glasgow and Treviso are so important.

Rodney Parade is said to be a tough place to visit yet nine teams have left Newport with the spoils in the 20 league encounters over the past two seasons.

The walls of 'Fortress Rodney Parade' have been scaled far too easily and the much-lauded atmosphere has not put too many teams off their stride.

That needs to change and if the Dragons can enjoy plenty of home success then the confidence should flow to start toppling some teams on their own turf.

Because among the alarming stats is a beacon of hope.

Glasgow, last season's Pro12 runners-up have shown that fortunes can be turned around swiftly with canny recruitment, good facilities and inspired management from the excellent Gregor Townsend.

The Warriors have been beaten on their own patch by the Dragons six times – a figure that matches the combined tally of successes at the Ospreys, Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht.

It's time that the region start ending the sob stories on the road and the next three weekends in Newport hold the key to them travelling with belief.