Scrum half and skipper Rhodri Williams believes Dragons will relish the battle of Bordeaux this weekend in the Heineken Champions Cup.
Dean Ryan’s men travel to the south west of France and the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday to tackle the Top 14 giants (kick-off 8pm UK time).
Dragons will be looking to bounce back from defeat to Wasps while Bordeaux will be eager to build-on an impressive opening win over Northampton Saints.
And Williams believes it is vital the squad embrace the difficult test on the road.
“This is why we are so excited about being back in the Champions Cup - we are challenging ourselves against the best in Europe," he said.
“Wasps were second in the English Premiership last year so we will learn from that experience and now we face Bordeaux who finished top of the Top14 last year and are one of the best teams in France. It will be a massive challenge.
“We are all really excited to get going again. It is a massive experience for us and it’s an unbelievable place to go.
“No-one will give us a chance so we need to go out there and enjoy it and see what we can do.”
Boss Dean Ryan admitted the team had failed to take opportunities at key times against Wasps – a view shared by his captain.
“It is a game we need to learn from,” said Williams. “I honestly feel like it was a missed opportunity.
“We were in the game for 65 or 70 minutes and we had an opportunity down in their 22, but we didn’t take that and in Champions Cup rugby you have to take those chances, as they are few and far between. If you miss them then the game will go away from you.”
Dragons will be hoping for smoother preparations after the drama of late team changes last weekend.
However, no matter what, Williams was pleased to see how the players adapted and coped in the clash with Wasps.
He said: “I thought the boys that stepped in did really well and they will learn from that and is good for them, with the emphasis on getting that experience in the Champions Cup. It’s great for that long-term development.
“We will learn from the Wasps game and from the experience, as there were plenty of positives out there that we can take forward into Bordeaux.
“We will get our preparation right and focus on what we can control.”
This is why we are so excited about being back in the Champions Cup... challenging ourselves against the best in Europe...
