Fly half Sam Davies is looking ahead to Europe after dispatching of the Ospreys 25-18 in a closely fought encounter at Rodney Parade in the Guinness PRO14, writes Ethan Harris.
Davies kicked a number of crucial penalties to keep the scoreboard close when the Ospreys threatened to extend their lead, allowing a late resurgence to edge out the derby on the day.
Dean Ryan’s men now turn their attention to French outfit Castres on Saturday in France (kick-off 3pm).
Davies is looking to build towards their European opponents, claiming strong preparation will be key if they are to get a result abroad.
And with a positive feeling around the squad after another derby victory, the number 10 insists the side need to continue their upwards trajectory.
“For us, things are on the up and we’re just looking to carry on that upwards spiral now,” Davies said.
“We’ll enjoy this win and we’ll be working hard ready for Europe next week. I think we’re building a bit of respect now, which is well deserved on our part.
“We’re just going to look to build into Europe, look at what we can get better at and really fire into that because we’re still in that competition too.
“We’re going to be frustrated with our own performance even though we’ve taken the win, and that shows how far we’ve come as a group.”
And with three consecutive wins at Rodney Parade, Dragons are starting to make their home a fortress in recent weeks.
“I think Rodney Parade has always been a tough place to come, and we’re just looking to stamp our authority on that,” added Davies.
“I think we’re doing that slowly but we’re still only halfway through the season so there’s a lot more games to come here.
“All we ask is that the crowd keeps coming out like they did tonight, I think there was a brilliant show of support there tonight and they really helped us get over the line in the end.”
Can Dragons make the knockout stages in Europe? Find out when we face Enisei-STM in the final pool game of the European Challenge Cup at Rodney Parade on Friday, January 17 (kick-off 8pm). Click HERE to buy tickets or call the Ticket Office on 01633 674990.
Things are on the up and we’re just looking to carry on that upwards spiral now...
