THE Dragons were hammered 33-12 by Connacht in the Guinness PRO14. Here are the talking points from a chastening evening at the Sportsground…

DIRE DEFENCE

Last season the Dragons were horrendous in defence but there was mitigation as head coach Bernard Jackman gave plenty of youngster a first taste of professional rugby.

There can be no excuses now. Teenage back row forward Taine Basham was the sole inexperienced pro in the team yet the Dragons still shipped tries far too easily.

There were missed tackles and poor decisions, Connacht made yards all too easily and nobody was able to provide a timely momentum shift.

Jackman appointed Hendre Marnitz last summer and, while the players have to take some responsibility, if a defence is porous then the coach has to carry the can.

In the Jackman reign EVERY league away game has been a five-pointer for the hosts. This season they have shipped 33 tries in eight games.

The Dragons are just far, far too easy to score against.

DEBATABLE SELECTIONS

Hallam Amos is a fine footballer and could be a real success at 13 but was the Sportsground the place to make that call?

The previous week Adam Warren was good against Ulster and his partnership with Jarryd Sage looked promising but he was dropped to the bench.

Amos is the Dragons’ best player and his best position is full-back. He needs to be played there and Jordan Williams, who is lively with ball in hand but questionable in defence, could either be shifted to the wing or given the role of adding energy from the bench.

Similarly, the absence of Rynard Landman is baffling. Even if the South African is not going to be given a fresh deal to stay at Rodney Parade beyond this season, the lock would add to the team in the meantime.

Landman can undoubtedly be a frustrating player, be brilliant one week and loose the next, but he would have added to the squad on Saturday.

EARLY HOWLERS

The losing streak on the road is well documented and if the Dragons are to end that then they need to set the tone early on in games.

Their start at the Sportsground was sloppy with errors galore; dropped passes, poor lineout work, a kick out on the full.

The Dragons didn’t come out firing but still should have taken the lead and their execution after line breaks was sub-Premiership level. Take them and confidence would have grown.

SHORT MEMORIES NEEDED

The Dragons seem to have an inability to brush off the bad moments.

They make mistakes and then produce another error while the way that they imploded after the opening try was alarming.

To go from 0-0 on 22 minutes to game over at half-time was shocking, and it could have been worse.

The Dragons need to be more resilient, they need to be able to brush off disappointing moments.

EDINBURGH CLASH IS MASSIVE

The Dragons have put themselves under pressure, not just with their poor results but with their bad performances.

They have a week to lick their wounds then a clash against Russia in Bedwas before they return to league action against Edinburgh.

That game on a Sunday evening after Wales have taken on South Africa is enormous for Jackman, his staff and the players.

A lot of supporters are restless and need to see a third win of the season, no matter how it is achieved.

Edinburgh are a fine side but if the Dragons don’t win that then there will be real concerns about where the next victory is coming from.

A Sunday evening fixture is likely to lead to a meagre crowd but numbers will dwindle further unless the Scots are beaten.