Head Coach Dai Flanagan was left rueing missed opportunities as spirited Dragons went down 34-6 to Leinster in the BKT United Rugby Championship at Aviva Stadium.
The Men of Gwent produced a strong display for over an hour in Dublin before a late charge from the Irish heavyweights gave the score line a different view.
Flanagan’s men also threatened in attack, especially in the opening half, and he admitted after the Round Two game that failing to nail down those chances had proved costly.
“It was missed opportunities. We probably had three chances to score tries and we didn’t. That is how you build pressure on a team like Leinster,” he said.
“I thought they defended well, you’ve got to work hard to get across that line, and when we did we have to be more accurate, but I can’t fault the effort.
“Second half they arguably turned the screw a little bit, they went a bit more direct, and we couldn’t find an answer in that moment.
“We worked hard, but how we change momentum in games is a big learning for us.
“Our collisions are improving; our effort is improving. It was tough for us with a six-day turnaround too, but only hard work will help us close the gap.
“We’re not going to give up, and as I said we are one pass away three times from changing the direction of the game. If you come out here and don’t take them, it is tough.
“It’s about being brave now with our skillset. When you get opportunities you feel pressure - we need to start looking forward to pressure, and thrive in it.
“That is a challenge for us now, but we will get there.”
It was missed opportunities. We probably had three chances to score tries and we didn’t. That is how you build pressure on a team like Leinster...
