Boss Dean Ryan has vowed to keep giving his squad opportunities as the Guinness PRO14 campaign comes to a close – insisting it is the only way Dragons will improve in the long-term.
Dragons welcome Scarlets to Rodney Parade on Saturday (kick-off 5.15pm) for a final league game of the season as Guinness PRO14 rugby returns to Newport for the first time in almost six months.
Ryan is ready to make changes to his line-up again with the big European quarter-final with Bristol Bears also now fast approaching.
And the Director of Dragons Rugby insists that long-term approach and player development – not individual games and results - has to be the mentality if the region is to prosper.
“My role is to expand the group that feels confident and to give people opportunities,” said Ryan.
“There is some risk attached, but I can’t name the same 15 and try and hold onto them until Christmas.
“I have got to keep getting people better and the only way to do that sometimes is to put them in against the best competition.
“We have some challenges in Europe this year where we will play some big sides and we can’t just rely on a small group.
“We have to get our youngsters better. I very much see these games as a chance for us to do that.
“It is not necessarily about a win against the Scarlets or whatever else. This is a real opportunity for us to get better as a region and as a whole.”
Looking ahead to the clash with Scarlets, Ryan has warned his team cannot afford to be so loose with possession.
“We expect what you always get from Scarlets. They are great with ball in hand and play very quickly,” he added.
“You saw glimpses of that against Cardiff Blues with their dangerous outside backs.
“Everybody has played once now so we are now starting to talk about what we can do better.
“We simply can’t give up the amount of ball that we did at the weekend (against Ospreys) against a side with as many dangerous runners as the Scarlets.
“It coincides with an area if that game that we have challenged ourselves to get better at. If we don’t it could be a long afternoon.”
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I have got to keep getting people better and the only way to do that sometimes is to put them in against the best competition...
