Forwards Coach Luke Narraway admits he has been incredibly impressed by the emerging youngsters at Dragons - and believes the Rainbow Cup could be the perfect platform for them to kick-on.
Narraway first linked-up with Dragons in 2019 to guide the region’s up and coming aces in the Celtic Cup, before joining on a full-time basis in 2020.
The former back row forward first saw the likes of Ben Carter, Ben Fry, Aneurin Owen and Josh Reynolds in the Celtic Cup before helping them make senior breakthroughs this campaign.
Narraway insists emerging stars will only shine through in the right stable environment.
And the ex-England international believes the Rainbow Cup – that kicks off next week against Scarlets on home soil - could be the ideal backdrop as the young Dragons look to step up.
“I’ve been incredibly impressed with the youngsters here,” said Narraway, speaking on the latest Q&A with supporters in conjunction with the Dragons Official Supporters Club (DOSC) and Compeed.
“I had an introduction to the talent here through the Celtic Cup, so I got to know a lot of the younger players.
“One thing that I said to Dean (Ryan) straight away was that I couldn’t believe the amount of talent that one region could have.
“It’s one thing having talent and another ensuring the right environment and experiences is there to make sure talent comes through.
“We’ve got to make sure that it’s challenging and developing, but we also can’t expect these guys to play 30 games a season and play until they break.
“That’s where Dean, the strength and conditioning and medical side comes in.
"If we can get through three or four players a season then in five years’ time we will have an impressive squad that has come through the same pathway and have all grown up wanting to play for the Dragons.
“I know from experience, if you have a group of players that are all heavily invested in their club it’s a lot more powerful than signing superstars or internationals that are only there for two or three years.
“That is what we are trying to do; build something here that will last.”
Dragons finished the league season strongly with victories against Glasgow and Edinburgh at Principality Stadium.
The European Challenge Cup last 16 clash with Northampton came next and despite a brilliant performance for 65 minutes, the side ultimately came up short after a late Saints comeback.
Reflecting on the European defeat, Narraway is adamant lessons will be learnt from the heart-breaking finale.
“There was massive frustration and huge disappointment,” he said. “To score 39 points in the first hour was a proud moment for all of us and I think for the first 60 to 65 minutes we were outstanding.
“Our defence at times was sickening with our collisions; it showed how much the region means to a lot of the players. In attack we definitely showed the best version of ourselves.
“In that last 15 minutes we probably looked to try and get to the end of the game and see it out instead of continuing to do what we were doing for the first 65 minutes.
“Rugby is a funny game once you lose momentum. You can be so comfortable, but in five minutes can suddenly be under the cosh.
“In terms of learning points, when you come under the cosh and the momentum shifts then kicking the ball away and not doing what got you into that position in the first place is actually the worst thing to do.
“If we had that fifteen minutes again, we would definitely try and keep more ball in hand instead of just kicking it away.
“The intention was good, we were trying to get the ball down the other end and put pressure on, but keeping the ball in hand would have been a better option.
“It was disappointing, but we learn a lot from that experience and if we can take those lessons into the future then that will only set us up for success.”
If you have a group of players that are all heavily invested in their club it’s a lot more powerful than signing superstars or internationals that are only there for two or three years...
