Towering lock Joe Maksymiw is ready to stand tall in the battle of Bordeaux – and believes Dragons can go into the Heineken Champions Cup encounter with renewed belief.
Maksymiw will line-up in the second row in tonight’s eagerly anticipated Round 2 clash at Stade Chaban-Delmas (kick-off 8pm UK time).
Dean Ryan’s men will be looking to bounce back from the opening round loss to Wasps at Rodney Parade – despite missing several players again for the clash in France.
And Maksymiw - a summer recruit from Connacht with experience in Europe’s top tier – believes the manner of that last performance on home soil should give Dragons optimism.
“I think we can take confidence that for the vast majority of the last game,” said the 25-year-old. “I think it was 12-8 after about 70 minutes, we were in the game.
“We can take learnings from the things that went wrong. There was a bit of disruption before the game, especially lineout wise, something I was in charge of at the weekend.
“We corrected things through the game, in the second half we managed to correct it, we learnt and we got 100% (lineouts won).
“There was disruption, but something we can definitely take the learnings from and take that forward into the rest of the season.
“There is belief now before Bordeaux,” he added. “There was a lot of changes within a sort of 12-hour period, but we have had a whole training week now, everyone is together so there is definitely a belief we can cause a shock.
“It is a cliché, but they (Bordeaux) are sort of a standard French side,. A very big team, big forwards and class out in the backs.
“We know what’s coming and we won’t hide from what’s coming - we just need to front up really and hopefully go from there.”
Reflecting on his season to fate with Dragons, Maksymiw has enjoyed the competition for places and his recent inclusion for the European games.
“We’ve got a lot of second rows all competing for a spot it’s only going to make us al better,” he said. “Carts (Ben Carter) this year has burst onto the scene, but that is only good for the rest of us.
“It just means we are going to have to up our game and he’s playing really well, did outstanding at Glasgow.
“It’s just good for the rest of us and will make us compete harder and hopefully all get better as a second row unit.
“It’s been a bit in and out for me, hasn’t it?” he added. “It’s been a little bit disjointed, but so is this year.
“I’m hoping now that I can build on last week’s performance, get better, improve and try and keep my spot in the team.
“There is a lot of competition here, so I just need to keep working hard and hopefully by getting my head down that gets me in the team.”
We know what’s coming and we won’t hide from what’s coming - we just need to front up really and hopefully go from there...
