NEWPORT Gwent Dragons ended their season with a 47-22 hammering at the hands of Zebre in the Guinness Pro12. Here’s what we learnt from the pummelling in Parma…

1: CRIMINAL START

Zebre are always a tough nut to crack on their own turf, let alone when chasing Champions Cup rugby and when having the desire to give talisman Marco Bortolami a winning send-off before retirement.

The Dragons spent all week talking about the need to start well but falling behind 17-3 left them with an impossible task. With a quarter of the game played, a home win was pretty much secured.

2: SHOCKING SKILLS

Eating into a big deficit is impossible when the basics are going wrong. The Dragons’ handling was poor – sadly centre Jack Dixon had a bit of a shocker – while their clearance kicking was poor. One 22-metre drop-out went dead from Angus O’Brien (leading to three points from a scrum penalty) and two restarts by Geraint Rhys Jones failed to go 10 metres. There were costly lineout wobbles and an inability to hang onto the ball to build pressure.

3: TRAVEL SICKNESS

It is the first time that the Dragons have gone an entire campaign without an away league win, add the Judgement Day fixture into the mix and it’s 12 losses away from Rodney Parade.

They had some near-misses – denied by Ulster at the death and when O’Brien’s drop goal in Treviso struck both posts – but if their away form doesn’t improve then there is no chance of the Dragons narrowing the gap on the teams above them.

4: WONDERFUL WARREN

Adam Warren wasn’t at his best in Parma but at least he had an excuse. The centre has started all 30 of the Dragons games this season following his move from the Scarlets.

He headed east in a bid to get more game time and the coaches certainly delivered on that promise.

It is, however, a sign of the Rodney Parade region’s thin squad being stretched to the limit. A player shouldn’t have to play all of those games and Warren’s form has understandably dipped slightly.

Sam Beard and Pat Howard plus the fit-again Dixon and Tyler Morgan should share the burden next season.

5: THANK GOODNESS IT’S OVER

It was a grim Pro12 campaign from the moment Cardiff Blues burgled the spoils in the festive fixture at Rodney Parade.

The Dragons would have loved to be able to hit reset after a season disrupted by injuries and devoid of any momentum.

They won against Zebre and Treviso in Newport during the World Cup but have since added just (admittedly very good) successes against Munster in December and Leinster in January.

The tag of Wales’ lowest region was on the cards from turn of the year and the tally of 10 losing bonus points has almost added to the frustration.

The Dragons deserve to be bracketed with the Italian pair and their summer must be fuelled by embarrassment at their league record of played 22, won 4, lost 18.

Yes, Europe was great again but the Pro12 has been humiliating.