NEWPORT Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner hopes the last two home performances against top Irish provinces Leinster and Munster will be the boost they need to kick start their season, albeit for the final crucial run-in when European qualification is at stake.

The Dragons have reserved their best form of the season for those two matches to show exactly what they are capable of.

Now they have to take that form on to the road, where they have won just one of their last 21 games, starting with a tricky Celtic League game against Connacht in Galway on Saturday.

"It's always difficult at the Sportsground where the windy conditions dictate," said Turner.

"The toss will decide a lot, whether we play well into the wind or score a lot of points with it.

"We will have to look after the ball and we'll have to play well tactically. We'll have to manage the conditions and minimise their good patches.

"The Dragons lost there last year and we're well aware of the challenge, but we showed enough last Friday to show we're a good team.

"We've got to sustain it and we've got to show we're capable of winning these games. Hopefully this will end our run of away defeats, we've got to pick up a couple of of wins.

"We've beaten two Heineken Cup semi-finalists and that should be the kick start we need to take it on."

But Turner will still warn his team to be wary of Connacht, dangerous opponents at home, even if they are bottom of the table.

"They have beaten a full strength Worcester team, Leinster and Llanelli Scarlets. They are a workmanlike side, well coached and have shown a lot of resolve," he said.

"We'll have to play as well as we did last Friday but in a different way. We'll have to show more control.

"Everyone seems to have forgotten about Connacht, but they've got four out of their last five games at home and they will see their next couple of games as their chance to gain European Cup qualification.

"Connacht will fancy their chances against us, they do against anyone at home. But when you look at the table and the games played and lost the teams who have lost the most are generally at the bottom, and they are Connacht and Glasgow."

Connacht are bottom on 27 points from 17 games, with 11 defeats and Glasgow are on 32 points also from17 games with 11 defeats.

Then come the Dragons on 34 points from 15 games with eight defeats, the Scarlets on 36 points from 13 matches and five defeats and the Ospreys on 37 points from 16 games and seven losses.

The team with the third highest number of defeats are Borders with nine defeats from 17 games with 38 points.