Boss Filo Tiatia wants his Dragons to ‘front up’ and grasp the opportunity when they face Newcastle Red Bulls in a must-win EPCR Challenge Cup clash at Rodney Parade on Friday night (kick-off 8pm).
Victory in the final pool game would take the Men of Gwent temporarily above both Perpignan and Lions, who meet in France on Saturday.
That means it is now a win-or-bust showdown against Newcastle – who are targeting home advantage in the next round having won all three pool games.
And Head Coach Tiatia wants his side to embrace the challenge and produce in front of the Rodney Parade faithful.
“We want to make the last 16 and we know when we're at home we need to front up for the fans - all the players wearing the jersey all know the expectations,” he stated.
“We need to do justice to the jersey and then try and wear it for another week. That is earned, not given.
“I can’t wait for the players to get amongst it. After the disappointment against Benetton, it’s good to get back on the horse and get stuck in.
“We love playing at home. But it’s only an advantage if we turn up,” added.
“We’re excited get back and our fans are awesome and great supporters of the team.
“We have lots to prove from last week, in terms of where we can get to, and we can’t be defined by one performance.
“We’ve made some good shifts over the last six weeks, and we can only put it right with a clear identity and how we play this Friday.“
Reflecting on the defeat to Benetton last week, Tiatia insists it is important Dragons take lessons and respond in the right manner.
“We need to get our set piece right and our game flying,” he said.
“It’s important we play the way we know we can play and apply pressure. We’ve had a good review around our performance in Italy; we were second best at everything.
“We’re looking forward to the game - the players are ready to go. We also need to understand there will be ebbs and flows, not everything will be perfect.
“With a short turnaround to Newcastle, we need to take the learnings. It can be hard to do that sometimes, but the powerful truth is the film doesn’t lie and we need to move forward,” he added.
“It was hard to watch the game back, but we need to be better. It was a reality check, but this is also an opportunity to keep moving forward with all we want to achieve.
“It would mean the world to make the last 16. It’s been a few years, and we have an opportunity this weekend.
“We need to control what we can control, and that is playing our game and applying pressure on Newcastle. They will do the same to us. It’s going to be a big contest.”
Tickets for our home EPCR Challenge Cup fixture with Newcastle Red Bulls remain on sale NOW! Click HERE to buy online or call the Ticket Office team on 01633 670 690 during office hours
