BOSS Dean Ryan has pledged there is plenty more to come from the Dragons as they attempt to double the Scarlets and avoid a year without victory in Newport.
The Rodney Parade region caused a huge United Rugby Championship upset last weekend when they dealt their rivals a blow in their bid for the play-offs.
The five-try Dragons won 38-27 in the west to end a 13-game streak without success and record a first victory in Llanelli since the move from Stradey Park to Parc y Scarlets.
Now they attempt to back up that victory to end a miserable run on home soil – it is nine games without success at Rodney Parade since the Rainbow Cup success against the Scarlets on April, 25 2021.
“Whether we had won or lost at the Scarlets, what we are looking for is to have confidence in the things that we are trying to do, and do them more often,” said Ryan.
“You can’t live your life on ‘did we win?’, you can live your life on ‘did we do the things that we talked about?’.
“It will be a big test for us to go back home and back up the same levels of performance and probably be better, because I think we had more out there.
“That wasn’t us at our best by any means, there is a lot of scope for us to do some things better.”
The victory was a timely one for the Dragons as talks continue about the future of professional rugby in Wales.
Ryan’s men have underperformed this season but have a chance for a strong finish to the campaign with games to come against Zebre, the Ospreys, Cardiff and the Lions.
The Dragons’ win in Llanelli gives them a chance at a first double over the Scarlets since 2007/8 and a first Welsh double since downing the Ospreys twice in 2010/11.
Their derby record highlights the traditional gulf in playing budgets and Ryan argues it shows a glimpse of what they could do with more financial backing.
“It’s a marker in history but I am not sure what statement it makes,” he said. “Do we need to beat the Scarlets to get more equality in funding?
“We clearly have a lot of really good guys working really hard but we also look at it across the year when there are plenty of times when we are under resourced.
“The night in Llanelli was fantastic for everyone that believes in the Dragons, but it doesn’t stop us arguing the point on lots of other fronts.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here