Dean Ryan insisted a lack of discipline had cost Dragons dearly after an sensational start to the Welsh derby with Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship.
The Men of Gwent produced a stunning opening quarter at the Swansea.com Stadium as tries from Jared Rosser, Adam Warren and Mesake Doge saw them soar to a 24-8 lead.
But a high penalty count allowed a fully loaded Ospreys side to turn to their power game to wrestle back control by the break and eventually pull clear.
Dragons did secure a deserved try bonus point courtesy of a late score from replacement scrum half Lewis Jones in the 50-31 defeat.
But it was no more than a consolation for Director of Dragons Rugby Ryan who pinpointed a lack of discipline for undermining the effort on show.
He said: “I really can’t keep sitting in a room on a Monday and talking about penalties and the opposition going back to five-metre drives that we have a problem defending.
“I get that we have lost some individuals through the weeks (because of injury) and we have got some young kids that make some mistakes, but we are talking about the same things regularly.
“We need to find a way; we can’t keep doing the same things and grow a game at the same time because one strangles the other. It was by people who should know better. We can’t just keep having the same conversations.
“I get asked about it sometimes almost like I haven’t told the players but let’s be under no illusions, I have told them.
“But that doesn’t solve discipline – discipline comes from internal accountability and at the moment we don’t have it strong enough.
“As a young group under pressure, which we often are, will make some mistakes but we haven’t yet been able to change the behaviour and it is strangling so many of the good things that we have got.”
Dragons had started the game in sensational form with fly half Will Reed impressing on his full United Rugby Championship debut.
And Ryan was pleased that so many of his young guns fired in a feisty derby atmosphere.
“There was some Jekyll and Hyde rugby from us - especially in that first half,” admitted Ryan.
“Led by a very impressive young man, our attack game was outstanding and we talked about keeping the ball on the field, stretching their pack and restricting their entries to our 22.
“Parts of it were outstanding, other parts were us (letting ourselves down) again. We can’t escape that, and our discipline meant they had four entries and scored three times.
“We came off pretty much even at half-time and that meant the Ospreys could stay in the same game – the power game, the corner game, the kicking game. We know that we have problems there with people we have got missing.
“When you saw the teamsheets you feared that it wouldn’t be pleasant and then some of our youngsters led the way,” he added.
“Ben Carter is trying to find a solution against two British and Irish Lions with two hookers coming on and off. That is a 21-year-old.
“I am focusing on where some of the youngsters are taking our game and I am really pleased with how they are doing.
“I am frustrated because I thought we could have come in at 24-8, which would have forced the Ospreys to change.
“The fact that we didn’t means they didn’t have to, they could keep doing what they do and I don’t think anybody felt we could cope with their five-metre drive with the power they have. What we could have done is cut that off.”
I am focusing on where some of the youngsters are taking our game and I am really pleased with how they are doing...
