Back row ace Aaron Wainwright insists Dragons are looking forward to the second part of the European double header with Worcester Warriors.
Wainwright grabbed a sensational first half try at Sixways Stadium but a red card to Taine Basham moments later changed had a huge impact on the European Challenge Cup round three clash.
Battling 14-man Dragons eventually lost out 34-28 – but a late try from Luke Baldwin salvaged a losing bonus point that kept them top of Pool 1.
The second part of the European clash takes place at Rodney Parade on Friday night (kick-off 8pm) as Worcester travel to Newport.
And Wainwright is looking forward to locking horns with the English Premiership side in a match that he admits could also set the tone for the forthcoming festive derby fixtures too.
“We worked hard and to get a point, in the circumstances, is a good achievement. We’re all looking forward to playing them on our patch,” he said.
“We held in for most of the match with 14 men, just two cheap tries that we gave away. But we held our own for a lot of the game.
“We are looking forward to playing next week with 15 men and turning things around.
“We dealt with the red card, hung in there and next week we will look to be stronger,” he added. “We put a good shift in and that point could be massive for us.
“If we can get the win on home soil we can look forward to the rest of the challenges in Europe and potentially the knockout stages.
“Everyone is excited about the derby games coming up too, it is a massive part of the season and if we can go into those with a win on Friday then confidence will be through the roof.
“We will go back now and look at how we can improve from this result and then paint the picture for the next couple of weeks.”
Wainwright’s return after the Rugby World Cup was certainly an eye-catching one as he burst through for a stunning first half try and impressed throughout.
And he admitted he was enjoying being back in a ‘positive’ environment under new Director of Dragons Rugby, Dean Ryan.
“It was nice to get back,” he said. “The boys have had a couple of good wins so it was good to be back playing at the Dragons where the environment is positive.
“There is a real strength in the back row here so that can only be a positive for all of us. It will help push us all in training and to get a starting jersey.
“To have four in the last Wales squad was fantastic so there is real pressure to perform here. It’s going to be interesting for the rest of the season.
“I feel fresh coming back in,” he added. “I feel physically in good shape and I’m looking forward to kicking on now.
“We have the Christmas derby games coming up, but firstly Worcester back at home so hopefully we can get a win there.”
Dragons are next in home action on Friday when we welcome Worcester Warriors to Rodney Parade in the European Challenge Cup. Tickets are on sale NOW - click HERE to buy and take advantage of Early Bird rates.
We are looking forward to playing next week with 15 men and turning things around... We dealt with the red card, hung in there and next week we will look to be stronger...
