Back row tyro Shane Lewis-Hughes has praised the ‘mongrel and fight’ shown by Dragons in then never-say-die comeback victory Ospreys - and admits the standard has now been set for the season.
Lewis-Hughes made an all-action full debut in the dramatic 23-21 victory over Ospreys in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
The summer recruit showed all his emotions at full-time with his fist pumps in front of a raucous Riverside Terrace.
And he now wants Dragons to make sure that is the minimum standard as they move forward in the URC.
“What a win,” he stated. ”I don’t think I could have written a better way to win, you can blow teams away sometimes but to dig in like that at the end was incredible.
“There was 80 minutes on the clock, and we were in their 22 and the boys didn’t give up when a lot of teams would have.
“We kept on fighting and that just goes to show the hard work that we have put in throughout pre-season.
“The boys are saying that it feels different this year, we won’t accept that we are out of games and if we keep performing like that and fighting like that then we are going to cause a lot of problems.
“We had a yellow card, a few penalties and things not going our way but it’s in those times that it really says a lot about you as an individual and a team, if you are going to crumble or fight for it. We showed everyone what we are made of.
“That was the big one that we had been targeting all pre-season,” he added. “It was all built towards that, and it wasn’t perfect but we had a lot of mongrel and fight.”
Lewis-Hughes started the game at Number Eight due to injuries, and insisted he was just happy to be on the field and with his new team-mates on day one.
“Six is my position but we have a few injuries, and I am versatile - whatever I am asked I will do my best at,” he declared.
“I want to play every single week. My aspirations are to get back into the international team but that starts with getting in the Dragons team and playing well. That’s my sole focus.
“That showed me the boys are willing to dig in and that puts us in good stead, but we can’t rest on this, we have to keep building or it will mean nothing,” he added.
“The pressure is on to build from it but it’s a good start. It will be the same in Dublin – digging in, fighting hard, not giving up.”
That showed me the boys are willing to dig in and that puts us in good stead, but we can’t rest on this, we have to keep building or it will mean nothing...
