Head Coach Dai Flanagan conceded Dragons had taken a step backwards and lacked game control as they slipped to a disappointing New Year’s Day defeat at Scarlets.
The Men of Gwent led at the break in the BKT United Rugby Championship at Parc y Scarlets after first half tries from Angus O’Brien and Lewis Jones.
But against 14 men – after a red card to Sione Kalamafoni – Dragons struggled to gain a foothold or any momentum in a disappointing second half as they slipped to defeat.
“No-one said it would be easy and that was a step backwards for us,” he said.
“We lost all the collisions; we lost all the 50/50s. You can’t afford to do that, and I am disappointed because collectively we didn’t stick to the script. We must look at why.
“Sometimes a man advantage can work for you, sometimes it can work against you.
“There are 15 different minds on the field, and I’ll have to look at what went through them, because we didn’t get the connection right.
“We never really had control. We were loose and that fed Scarlets, who have some rock stars in their team with Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Johnny McNicholl. We knew what we had to do; we just didn’t do it.”
Dragons have no time to dwell on defeat with the Vodacom Bulls coming to Rodney Parade in five days.
“We are in games but, let’s be honest, we were never in it against the Scarlets, even when they had 14 players,” added Flanagan.
“Nobody said it would be easy. There is definitely a mindset shift that we have to make, we have to believe in what we are doing and fully back it.
“When the pressure comes on and you are under the pump that is when you must be a 15-man team. We are just not there at the moment.
“It’s hard to stress them in training at the moment because of six-day and five-day turnarounds plus some travel, but we will get there.”
We lost all the collisions; we lost all the 50/50s... You can’t afford to do that, and I am disappointed because collectively we didn’t stick to the script...
