Captain George Nott praised the club's young guns as the stepped up against Hartpury in pre-season at Rodney Parade.
The Men of Gwent started with 12 players who are either Academy graduates or still part of the Dragons Academy system in the 42-40 defeat to English Championship side Hartpury.
The young Dragons continued to come off the bench in the second half as the home side rallied from 35-19 down at the break to take the lead before a late Hartpury try.
And Nott - who led the side for the pre-season opener on home soil - was full of praise for the next generation of stars in Newport.
