Boss Dean Ryan admitted he was proud of his Dragons after the Heineken Champions Cup opener with Wasps – but conceded that the team had missed key moments that could have influenced the outcome.
Wing Jonah Holmes grabbed a first try for the region before two late tries gave Wasps a 24-8 win at Rodney Parade.
The Director of Dragons Rugby spoken positively about his team after the game – particularly after the pre-match disruption of having to make numerous changes after two players tested positive for Covid-19.
However, he insisted lessons would need to be learned from the opening pool game.
"I'm always proud of the Dragons. We're playing in this environment to keep adding to our lessons and I think we had a moment, maybe two, where we could have won the game,” he said.
“The scrum under the posts with 15 minutes to go, irrespective of what had gone on before, was a big moment.
“I thought for the first 20 minutes of the second half we frustrated them.
“We didn’t come here to make eight late changes and try to play a game that one of the fastest sides in the English Premiership wants to play.
“We came here to frustrate and hold them in high field position, and I think it worked. We just missed the big moments.
“We also had a lineout down the far right when the scores were close. But that is the lessons we need to learn and we are trying to get experiences.
“We need to be better in the big moments we had. I am proud, I am always proud, but I want them to learn there was a moment when you could have taken last year’s English Premiership finalists.
“We could have done it, irrespective of what was going on before, but we didn’t and then they come and take their chances."
Next up is a clash with Bordeaux-Begles in France next Saturday evening and Ryan knows the game represents another key chance to move forward as a group.
“We’ve got another challenge next week and it is going to be an interesting week because we are faced with the same challenges of isolation and everything else,” he said.
“I’m not expecting us to be Champions Cup winners, but I am expecting us to learn,” he added.
“There are some real credits in that performance (against Wasps), there always is, but we have got to be better in those key moments.
“That is what the top level is. It’s not a different game. It’s the same game, but when moments are done with precision or execution, with clarity, irrespective of what is going on around you.
“Today was a huge learning for us and also frustrating. We had moments, when we have been better in the past and we could have been better today.”
We came here to frustrate and hold them in high field position, and I think it worked... We just missed the big moments...
