Dragons newcomer Nick Tompkins has urged his team-mates to ‘raise the bar’ now the first game back after lockdown is behind them.
Wales international Tompkins made his debut for Dean Ryan’s men in the 20-20 draw with Ospreys in Swansea as the Guinness PRO14 returned after almost six months away.
The midfielder, on loan for a year from Saracens, admitted it was good to ‘blow the rust off’ at the Liberty Stadium.
But with Scarlets on home soil this weekend before a huge match-up with Bristol Bears in Europe, Tompkins is adamant that now is the time to cut out the mistakes and start to build.
"These games are really important because of that. We are a new group with new calls, so I am pretty happy with how it went because of all those factors,” he said.
"You want to see us raise the bar now and if it isn't then we need to look at ourselves and have a word. You've got to learn and improve every game.
"What these games are great for is that they highlight problems that we haven't spoken about before," added Tompkins.
"They are getting talked about and fixed. "It's getting us in the right mind frame and sorting out little details and tweaks that will sharpen us up."
"You just have to blow the rust off and get into it. You could see that the boys were anxious to do things and maybe forced it.
"That's just from being so excited to be back out there and those nerves from not being there for a long time.”
Reflecting on his first few months at the region, Tompkins is full of praise for his new environment and the direction the region is going in.
“It’s been brilliant. Everything that I hoped for,” he smiled.
“Dean (Ryan) has been brilliant, the coaching has been brilliant and everybody has been really welcoming.
“The drive is there; when you come into a youngish group you worry that there might be a lack of direction but there is a definite direction here.”
You want to see us raise the bar now and if it isn't then we need to look at ourselves and have a word...You've got to learn and improve every game...
