Dragons in no mood to change coaches (From Campaign Series)

Dragons in no mood to change coaches

7:00am Thursday 1st November 2012 in Sport By Chris Kirwan

NOT FOR CHANGING: Dragons director of rugby Robert Beale

DIRECTOR of rugby Robert Beale has insisted that there are no plans to change the coaching set-up at Newport Gwent Dragons – and he believes it isn’t just boss Darren Edwards who should be feeling the heat.

The region has made an awful start to the season with just two wins out of their nine fixtures.

The Dragons face a stiff test this weekend when they travel to face in-form Glasgow, who are looking for their sixth straight RaboDirect Pro12 victory.

With only winless Zebre beneath the region in the table, the performance of head coach Edwards and his staff, who are under contract until the end of the 2013/14 season, is under the microscope.

But Beale believes everyone, players, coaches and management, including himself, should come in for scrutiny.

“There are no changes planned as far as I am aware,” said the director of rugby.

“It hasn’t been a good start and the results have been disappointing to everyone associated with the Dragons.

“We need to ask ourselves some questions and I don’t just mean the players and coaches, I mean the business and where we want it to go.

“There will be speculation whoever is coaching, whether here or elsewhere, when a team is not producing the results that people expect.

“But there is more to it than that and things go deeper than just the coach.

“We assembled a squad for the season on the back of a budget that we were given amid all the (financial) uncertainty surrounding Welsh rugby.

“That’s not an excuse. We were happy with what we did over the summer and it’s up to the players and coaches to get the best out of each other and make sure we get the team on a winning front.

“But I am a realist and look at how other squads have improved and how they have invested financially.

“Glasgow is a classic example but the other side of it is Edinburgh, who have invested heavily and we turned them over.

“Money is not always the answer and we have to look at ourselves and look within. But that is not just the coaches and players, it’s the whole business and I include myself in that.”

Beale is unswayed in his belief that the current coaches are best placed to guide the region out of their slump.

He believes that the key to them doing that is to stick to their guns, even when they are copping flak.

“When times get tough you’ve just got to knuckle down and get on with it,” said Beale.

“They have to believe in their values and in their strategies and hope that they bring them through.

“I’ve said on a regular basis to Darren Edwards that as a head coach he has to be able to look himself in the mirror and give it the Frank Sinatra – ‘I did it my way’.

“If you are thrown off track by comments or by complaints then you will end up chasing your tail.

“Darren and his coaching team have to be true to themselves and do things the way that they believe is a successful route.

“But it’s also important to take into account the other factors of where we are as a business and I am sure he does that on a regular basis.”