Interim Head Coach Filo Tiatia says that he’s “enjoying sitting in the seat” of leading Dragons and working with other coaches and staff.
Tiatia joined Dragons RFC ahead of the 2024/25 season as Defence Coach and stepped up to Interim Head Coach in November.
The former New Zealand international, who also represented Ospreys during a successful playing career, joined the Dragons following coaching stints in Japan and New Zealand along with Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika.
“I'm enjoying sitting in the seat, working with all the coaches and staff,” said Tiatia. “At the moment I’m here by myself. My family are back in New Zealand now, they were here for a break, which was good timing."
“Where we’re at, at the moment, all I can control is the things that's in my role and then how I keep improving as Interim Head Coach and that's the focus.
“Then, how we keep working with staff and players, and then just keep improving every day.”
During his stint so far as Interim Head Coach, Tiatia has emphasised the importance of hard work and players earning their place in the Dragons side through playing for Gwent sides in Super Rygbi Cymru.
Tiatia took the role ahead of the Dragons A games against Scarlets and Ospreys and has since overseen the integration of several Gwent youngsters into the first team, including Huw Anderson, Nick Thomas, Evan Minto and Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths with the latter trio all making their debuts.
With Dragons suffering a lengthy injury list - which includes both co-captains along with two of our three vice captains plus other internationals - it has been a steep learning curve for some of our talented youngsters.
“I remember when we had the Sunwolves (in Japan) and I was coaching there with Mark Hammett, we started there fresh,” said Tiatia.
“We had players that had never played at that level before, but actually just tried to form a style that would coincide with the national team and that was to play fast.
“It's really just trying to build cohesion in a short time, and then it's the same when I've come here as a Defence Coach and it's actually trying to do the same, build relationships, cohesion and build trust. So, that's where we’re at.”
The Men of Gwent look to finish the campaign strongly going into next season, where there will be further opportunity to recruit and develop the current squad around a core of Gwent talent.
“The process of what we're trying to build is my focus,” said Tiatia. “Like I’ve said before, around the outcomes, the outcomes will look after itself.
“We need to keep driving players understanding their roles and then really focus around process of how do we stay in competition.
“When I say competition, there's competition in the moment, in games.
“So, if we can limit penalties and giving the opposition opportunities that'll help and then once we get opportunities, that we finish and execute them.”
I'm enjoying sitting in the seat, working with all the coaches and staff...all I can control is the things that's in my role and then how I keep improving as interim head coach and that's the focus...
