Backs Coach Barry Maddocks admits the next three games for Dragons are a big period – but insists they will not underestimate teams weaken by World Cup call-ups.
Dragons travel to Italy to face Zebre on Saturday (kick-off 5pm UK time) before back-to-back home games with Connacht Rugby and Glasgow Warriors to finish the month.
All three teams lost their opening league games and have been disrupted by call-ups for the showpiece event in Japan.
However, Maddocks insists Dragons will give all the teams hugh respect as they look for a positive start to the campaign.
“We are looking at each game and no further,” he said. “The Zebre game gives us an opportunity to go away as a group and talk about how we want to play the game and be tight.
“We have two home games that follow that will be really important for us.
“It is a good opportunity, but we have to respect the teams we are playing, even though they are supposedly weaker. The strength of the squads they have means they are still formidable teams.”
Maddocks believes Dragons can take positives from the opening round loss at highly-rated Munster as they look to bounce back in Parma.
“The boys are really positive after the weekend. We showed some really good spirit and had some real good patches within the game,” he said.
“The opening 25 minutes was good and at times in the second half there was some really good stuff, in terms of what we are trying to get to under Dean (Ryan).
“Our focus over the next couple of days is to sustain that for longer and get the win.
“We had opportunities and it is about being smart in the opposition 22. Munster are a very good side and the weather conditions probably suited them a bit more, it deteriorated badly. But we’ve looked at it and are looking to put it right.
“We have talked about growing our own identify and the players want to play in a way that they are comfortable with,” he added.
\“Are we going to be a team that kicks to the corner and drives everything? Probably not. What we want to do is get the players energised in playing.
“We’ve spoken about being smart and how do we hold onto the core element of playing fast but also playing territorially or whatever the conditions might throw at us.”
The Zebre game gives us an opportunity to go away as a group and talk about how we want to play the game and be tight...
