THREE defeats in a week means Newport Gwent Dragons are now almost certain to be involved in a play-off if they are to retain their place in the Heineken Cup for next season.

Though they have their second lot of four points to come for a free weekend, realistically they have now lost their chance of automatic qualification for Europe's premier competition by finishing in the top three Welsh regions.

Successive defeats by Connacht, Cardiff Blues and Llanelli Scarlets leave them chasing the final qualifying place by the same back-door route as Cardiff Blues last season via a play-off against the third-placed Italian team.

But the Dragons, assuming they are the fourth Welsh team, will have home advantage, the likely play-off being at Rodney Parade on June 2.

First, though, the Dragons have to make sure of that play-off place and they absolutely must end their losing streak by beating Glasgow at home on Friday, the Scots one of two teams below them in the Celtic League table, the others being Irish side Connacht.

If it stays that way the Dragons will go into the play-off. They dare not slip below either Glasgow or Connacht or they won't even make the play-off, and will be in the Challenge Cup competition instead.

They will undeniably have to improve considerably on their first-half performance at Stradey Park on Saturday night, when their faces were as red as the Scarlets' jerseys as they trailed 24-3 at the break.

A number of key players were missing as coach Paul Turner chose to rest some and take a look at other squad members who had hardly featured.

He found little to encourage him, apart from the obvious talent of Nathan Brew and the promise of James Ireland, even if he overdid it, as the Dragons were badly outpaced.

They also turned over a stack of ball and the Scarlet runners benefited as they turned defence into attack with devastating effect, wings Mark Jones and skipper Dafydd James benefiting with four tries in the first half.

Jones showed his electrifying turn of speed as he bagged a hat trick for himself in only 14 minutes, leaving hapless Leigh Hinton standing and combining with house neighbour Iestyn Thomas for another, which he later jokingly put down to rehearsals over the garden fence.

A Dragons turnover in the Scarlets' half was also inevitably followed by a Scarlet counter and another try, a bit like taking candy from a baby as the Dragons appeared leaden-footed and quite unable to stem the flow.

At least they managed to stop the rot in the second half, partly prompted by the arrival of regular captain Jason Forster as a replacement.

He rallied the troops, led by example as ever, and encouraged his team to at least go for it after the 24-3 interval lead for the Scarlets was stretched to 36-3.

The Scarlets were even down to 14 men after hooker Matthew Rees was yellow-carded for killing the ball when Lee Byrne swept over for the fifth try from another long, floated pass by Matthew Watkins.

Then James nabbed his second when Watkins and replacement Garan Evans with his first touch handled, the Dragons again left clutching thin air.

It looked like being a rout, but that is where Forster's influence had an effect and Brew began making inroads. He had been halted just short by Mark Jones - who else? - when he made it after Gareth Wyatt took a leaf out of the Scarlets' book and countered, replacement Gareth Chapman also involved.

Two minutes later Brew was involved again, as was Chapman, Jon Bryant joined in and Forster finished it off with his eighth try of the season.

He can't - and won't - be lost to the region, but Turner needs to bring in new players better than those who are leaving, or at least as good in some cases.

And everything else about the Dragons has to improve, notably in the area of facilities, in order to attract those players and be up there fighting with the others, not down at the foot of the table worrying about qualifying for Europe.

Scarlets: L Byrne (G Evans 63), D James (captain), M Watkins (A Gravelle 70), R King, M Jones, C Thomas (M Hercus 40), C Stuart-Smith (L Davies 65), I Thomas (P John 60), M Rees, C Dunlea, A Jones (J Edwards 63), C Wyatt, I Afeaki (A Gravelle 43-50), A Popham (J Mills 13), D Jones.

Scorers: tries - M Jones (3), D James (2), L Byrne; conversions - C Thomas (2), M Hercus. Dragons: L Hinton (G Chapman 63), G Wyatt, N Brew, J Bryant, B Breeze, A Thomas, J Ireland, D Maddocks (A Black 66), A Brown, G Robinson (C Anthony 54), B Griffiths, P Sidoli, R Oakley, M Owen, (captain0 (A Hall 54), J Ringer (J Forster 40). Scorers: tries - N Brew, J Forster; conversions - A Thomas (2); penalty - L Hinton.