HEAD coach Kingsley Jones hopes another European streak can help fire Newport Gwent Dragons’ Guinness Pro12 season, writes Chris Kirwan.

The Dragons ended the first block of league fixtures with a 31-27 loss to the Scarlets, a fifth defeat from six, although they left Llanelli with a pair of bonus points.

They now face two weeks of European Rugby Challenge Cup action with Brive heading to Rodney Parade on Friday night before a clash with Russian side Enisei in Krasnodar.

The Dragons have made it to the semi-finals of the second tier European competition for the past two seasons and have enjoyed victories against French opponents Stade Francais, Pau and Castres.

Jones hopes a success against Brive, who were edged out 27-25 at Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday and sit sixth in the Top 14, followed by a win in Russia can provide a boost before a trip to the Ospreys at the end of the month.

“Brive are a strong team. They are very tough over there and the question with French teams is always about how they will travel to us,” said the head coach.

“They are doing well in the Top 14 so it’s a big challenge but one we are looking forward to.

“We are excited about it and the players were already talking about it in the changing rooms at the Scarlets. What we want to do is get a couple of wins and build some belief and momentum to play a very good Ospreys side away from home.”

Jones lamented the one that got away in Llanelli after the Dragons had led 20-7 with half-time approaching.

They haven’t managed to beat Welsh rivals in the Pro12 since their win in Cardiff on Boxing Day, 2014.

“You won’t get many better opportunities than that. We were leading (20-14) at half time and scored four tries,” he said.

“I don’t think the Scarlets stepped up the pace in the second half. We made our own errors and gave away more penalties to allow them into our half a lot more. The Scarlets did really well but we played a part in our own downfall as well.”

“The belief was excellent, we came back and kept fighting, but at critical times we still make the wrong call and the wrong play,” he continued.

“A try came from us playing from a scrum in our own half unnecessarily – penalty, kick to the corner, try.

“Those are the tiny details that is missing in the group.”

Fly-half Nick Macleod came off in the first half in Llanelli after failing a head injury assessment.

Nick Crosswell also injured his right shoulder in the opening exchanges and came off at half time.