THE Dragons endured a 47-13 hammering at the Scarlets in the Guinness PRO14. Here are five things from the thrashing in Llanelli.

1: Set piece hammering

A tough night was on the cards as soon as the teams were announced with Samson Lee returning to join his Wales teammates Rob Evans and Ken Owens.

They smashed the Dragons in the scrum to earn field position and put the squeeze on through the driving lineout. The visitors actually defended pretty well against the maul but the pressure eventually told.

The Scarlets played some lovely stuff in the second half but it was won up front.

It would have been a tough night even with Brok Harris, Elliot Dee, Leon Brown in the front row.

2: Prop problems

Bernard Jackman made the decision to substitute his props Luke Garrett and Nicky Thomas after just 25 minutes.

How he picks them up from that disappointment against their former side is key, especially as he will need Thomas in the absence of Leon Brown and Brok Harris.

The tighthead is not in the shape that you’d expect of a professional but is needed as Lloyd Fairbrother’s deputy.

Sam Hobbs is in pole position to dominate at 1 for the rest of the season without Harris while Phil Price, a Dragons stalwart who looks sure to be on his way out, must be wondering what he does to have a crack before heading for pastures new.

3: Tough times for youngsters

The Dragons fielded a raft of young talent, partly through necessity, and the management must weigh up the value of flinging them in on such occasions.

Going up against the Scarlets certainly gives a glimpse of the standards needed but we’ve seen in the past that throwing prospects in at the deep end can be damaging.

Jackman needs to somehow get the most out of the seniors on the books that know they are heading for the door in a few months.

4: Wainwright on the rise

I’d heard of promising back row forwards Max Williams, Lennon Greggain and Taine Basham before this season but the name of Aaron Wainwright had totally passed me by.

In my defence that was because he played for Cardiff Met last year and has not been one of the Dragons’ Wales Under-20s contingent.

It was expected that Wainwright would spend the season with Newport RFC but the glut of injuries, notably to James Thomas and Lewis Evans, opened the door for a surprise shot with the Dragons.

The blindside has taken it and is starting to add more touches to his game to go along with an incredible appetite for work.

It has been a tough few weeks for the Dragons but the flanker from Rogerstone’s stock is rising rapidly.

5: Experience needed for France

After losses to Newcastle, Cardiff Blues, the Ospreys and the Scarlets, a trip to Bordeaux isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered.

The failure to beat the Falcons means that the Dragons have no margin for error and a success in France next weekend would beat the surprise triumphs at Stade Francais and Pau.

To achieve that the region need their senior figures to stand tall and perhaps it’s an occasion to plump for Rynard Landman, Sarel Pretorius and Gavin Henson, a trio of seasoned campaigners who have fallen a little out of favour.