DESPITE seeing his side miss out on the knockout stages of this season’s competition, James Chapron reckons the British & Irish Cup has been of great value to him and his players.

Chapron’s Newport Gwent Dragons Premiership Select XV host fellow Pool Five strugglers Bedford Blues at Bridge Field in Bedwas tomorrow (kick-off 2pm) in their final group stage game.

The two teams have picked up just seven points each from five matches so both will be out to end their cup campaigns with a flourish and avoid finishing bottom of the pool.

And while results might not have gone his men’s way this time around, Chapron feels they can still take a lot of positives from the tournament.

“I think that, on the whole, we have performed better as a squad this season,” he said.

“We haven’t won as many games but, if you look at the group, we are playing Yorkshire Carnegie, who are second in the division, Ealing Trailfinders, who are fourth, and Bedford Blues are a very good, very experienced side, and they will always push for the play-offs, so we have had a really tough group, but on the whole I have been really pleased.

“For many of the players it’s their second or third year and they have learnt from last year and got better this year, and I think, from a coaching perspective, I have learnt from last year and applied myself better.

“This year I think that the joint training sessions with the players has been massive for guys like Chris Coleman, who is a Wales U18 international and scrummaging against the likes of Sam Hobbs and Phil Price.

“Without the British and Irish Cup he wouldn’t have that opportunity, so I think the whole structure of the competition has moved on to another level from last year.”

Chapron makes seven changes to his starting XV after last weekend’s 56-19 thrashing at Ealing Trailfinders.

There are starts in the backs for wings Jared Rosser and David Evans, and centre Jack Dixon, while up front, Keagan Bale, Ellis Shipp and Chris Coleman make up a new front row.

Robson Blake comes in at number-eight in a side captained by scrum-half Charlie Davies.

Meanwhile, Chapron has been delighted with the support he and the team has had from host club Bedwas.

He added: “They have been extremely supportive and I think that they are looking to get a big home crowd out with their mini and junior sections coming along.

“Also, with the first team away against Brive, not many people will travel, so we are hoping that we will pull some support in to watch the younger boys play.

“It’s a familiar patch for many of the boys, we have a big Bedwas contingent in the team so they will know the pitch better than everyone.”

Dragons: J Prosser (Crosskeys); J Rosser (Dragons/Ebbw Vale), C Edwards (Dragons/Bedwas), J Dixon (Dragons), D Evans (Bargoed); A Robson (Dragons/Newport RFC); C Davies (Dragons) (capt); K Bale (Dragons), E Shipp (Dragons Academy/Cross Keys), C Coleman (Dragons Academy/Newport RFC), J Davies (Dragons), A Sweet (Dragons), J Thomas (Dragons), N Hudd (Dragons Academy/Bedwas), R Blake (Dragons/Bedwas).

Reps: D Harris (Dragons), J Lavender (Newport RFC), K Dowding (Bedwas), H Williams (Dragons Academy/Newport RFC), A Waite (Bedwas), O Davies (Dragons/Newport RFC), M O’Brien (Newport RFC).