Back row ace Ollie Griffiths believes a new positive mindset within the squad has been the key to snatching late victories in the Guinness PRO14, writes Adam Evans.
Dragons have produced grandstand finishes in their last three league games on home soil – making it five successive wins in all competitions at Rodney Parade.
Dean Ryan’s men have triumphed over Welsh rivals Scarlets and Ospreys, aswell as Toyota Cheetahs last weekend, in dramatic fashion in the Guinness PRO14.
“We've been finishing matches strong in the last 20 minutes,” said Griffiths. “It's just a mindset thing. In the past we've maybe, in those last 20 minutes when games are tight, let them get away from us.
“I think we have got a better belief now where we can enjoy those victories in the last 10 to 20 minutes. That's been a big thing.”
Reflecting on the manner of Saturday’s victory over their South African visitors, Griffiths was glad to see the team have progressed and can confidently back themselves to sneak a win towards the end of matches.
“It's nice to be on the other side of a last-minute win for a change - but we were quite harsh when we reviewed it,” he said. “If they had kicked it out, we would have been in different position.
"We showed a lot of character and fight to stay in it towards the end and put in a lot of hard work.
“I've been here a while now and it's been a situation where we've lost in the last minute. It is nice things have changed and we know we can edge out victories in the last few minutes.
“We have spoken about staying within a score in all games. And, like we showed on the weekend, as long as we stay within that score then some will go our way and some won't.
“It’s about just staying consistent with our performances and hopefully we can get a few more victories like last Saturday."
Ahead of Friday’s fixture against Benetton the back row is wary of the threat the Italians possess within their pack.
“We know they're (Benetton) coming with massive drive focus; our drive was a lot better last weekend after Glasgow scored a few tries against us," he added.
“I think they are the highest driving team in the Guinness PRO14 so it will be something we will put a lot of focus in this week in training.”
Dragons are back in action on Friday evening when we face Benetton Rugby in a re-arranged Guinness PRO14 clash at Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.35pm). Please note, ALL original match tickets remain valid. To buy tickets for the fixture call 01633 674990 or click HERE
We have spoken about staying within a score in all games... as long as we stay within that score then some will go our way...
