GOOD news for long-suffering Dragons supporters – the Six Nations is back this weekend.
The Rodney Parade club returned to United Rugby Championship action with a 40-7 hammering at the hands of Glasgow at Scotstoun Stadium on Saturday.
The Dragons shipped six tries and it should have been a lot worse against a Warriors side that bombed a glut of opportunities.
Glasgow were in front through Josh McKay after just 26 seconds and Stafford McDowall crossed for try number two after three minutes.
Tries shortly before and after the half-time whistle, by McKay and Ben Afshar earned the bonus point before a Will Reed consolation for the Dragons.
However, the Warriors finished on the front foot with Facundo Cordero and McDowall going over to complete the humiliation.
The Dragons have another break this weekend while Wales take on Ireland and then head to Ulster on March 2.
Here are some talking points after the stuffing at Scotstoun…
DEFENSIVE SHAMBLES
Remarkably after a 40-7 defeat, the Dragons got off lightly in Glasgow.
Their defensive performance was every bit as shocking as the one last April when the Warriors won 73-33 in the European Challenge Cup.
This was a display to rival the Cardiff nightmare on Boxing Day and the stats make grim reading.
Glasgow made 25 clean breaks, beat 39 defenders and racked up 759 metres while the Dragons missed 39 tackles and had a success rate of just 78 per cent.
For comparison, the humiliation at the Arms Park featured 17 clean breaks, 30 defenders beaten and 30 missed tackles with a success rate of 79 per cent.
The ease with which Glasgow were able to move up the pitch was alarming and at times they were playing with a complete absence of defensive pressure.
It wasn’t a case of having to soften up the Dragons, they frequently made cuts from first-phase plays.
It was another display to put the gamble to operate without a specialist defence coach in the spotlight.
That needs to be sorted but it’s attitude that matters as well as defensive systems – just like in Cardiff there were too many one-on-one tackles missed.
Glasgow were able to get on the front foot, play with quick ball and offload while the Dragons, who didn’t really have an effective ball carrier in their team, were slowed down.
The same problems that the Rodney Parade club had on the artificial pitches at Munster (seven tries), Cardiff (nine) and Glasgow (six) will apply on the new plastic in Belfast.
Ulster might be having an iffy season by their standards but possess some big units and lively runners.
GOOD EXPERIENCE?
The Dragons were without 21 players, so Dai Flanagan’s hand was forced in terms of giving youth a chance.
The head coach wants to use the run-in to look to the future and give young prospects a taste of senior rugby, but not like this.
Ideally you would put Oli Andrew and Brodie Coghlan in one week, Joe Westwood and Che Hope the next.
You certainly wouldn’t want hooker Sam Scarfe’s first Dragons appearance to be as a flanker with a converted hooker packing down at number eight.
Ulster away will be unforgiving next round and sadly it doesn’t look like the injury list will be much clearer, while Wales are unlikely to be in a position to give much help.
The Dragons need to get through Belfast and then use the seven-game run-in to give a smattering of opportunities on rotation.
That being said, some of the seniors need to take a long hard look at themselves after the Scotstoun showing.
The tone was set by Joe Davies, 124 Dragons appearances, and Dan Lydiate, a British Lion, allowing McKay to wriggle clear from a tackle inside the first minute.
MIND THE GAP
The gap between those in the URC with title ambitions and the four teams at the bottom is huge.
The Dragons (15th, 10 points) are in a scrap with the Sharks (16th, 10), Scarlets (14th, 12) and Zebre (13th, 13) to avoid bottom spot.
The aim for Flanagan & Co must be to set up a battle to avoid the Welsh wooden spoon when they take on the Scarlets at Cardiff City Stadium on the final weekend of the regular season.
There are two key games in the build-up to that finale - Zebre and Connacht at Rodney Parade.
They also host the Bulls and Stormers but one fears the South African power game might be too much for them.
Let’s be realistic, the Dragons will lose more than they win in the run-in but the manner of their defeats matter.
Glasgow scorers: tries – McKay (2), McDowall (2), Afshar, Cordero; conversions – Thompson (4), Weir.
Dragons: C Evans (Reed 16), J Rosser (Westwood 59), S Hughes, Owen, Andrew; O’Brien, Blacker (Hope 61); R Jones (Seiuli 45), J Benjamin, Coleman (Yendle 58), J Davies (Langton-Cryer 61), Screech, Lonsdale, Young (Coghlan 10), Lydiate (Scarfe 61).
Scorers: try – Reed; conversion – O’Brien.
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland).
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