Head Coach Filo Tiatia welcomed a ‘good workout’ for his team as Dragons opened pre-season with a 45-12 victory over Hartpury.
Rhys Cole (2), David Richards, Harri Keddie, Niall Armstrong, Matthew Screech and Aneurin Owen all crossed the whitewash in Gloucestershire against the English championship side.
Tiatia described the seven-try success at the 4ED Stadium as a ‘stepping stone’ forward and now wants his new-look squad to continue building when Scarlets come to Rodney Parade next Saturday.
“It was a good workout,” said Tiatia. “It was a good exercise, good playing against Hartpury. We played a lot of good stuff and have areas to work on.
“It’s a stepping stone for us. We had a hit out against Cardiff while in pre-season camp, but this was live tackling, live contesting for the ball and contesting our lineouts.
“It’s a line in the sand for us and we can see the areas we need to keep improving on. It’s the start.
“It’s about building for Ulster. The players have responded well to the coaches, are working well together.
“It’s critical that there is a plan and they are clear on it, then confidence builds. But if things don’t go to plan, they find solutions.
“There were moments where we put ourselves under pressure and there are some clear fixes we can make.”
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It was a good exercise, good playing against Hartpury... We played a lot of good stuff and have areas to work on...
