Just keep grafting, Young tells Dragons (From Free Press Series)

Just keep grafting, Young tells Dragons

6:00am Saturday 19th January 2013 in Sport By Chris Kirwan

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have been told there is nothing they can do but plough on and graft in their bid to turn heartbreaking defeats into hard-fought victories.

Former Cardiff Blues boss Dai Young believes the region are getting the most out of what is at their disposal this season and that they can only wait until their luck changes.

Ex-Wales prop Young read the riot act to his Wasps charges in the Rodney Parade changing rooms on Thursday evening – yet their “awful” performance still earned them a 20-19 Amlin Challenge Cup win.

It left the opposition boss almost apologetic.

“I really feel for the Dragons,” said Young. “They deserve a lot of credit but in Wales we are good at knocking people rather than getting behind them.

“I don’t think there is much more the coaches can squeeze out of this team, they are giving everything that they’ve got.

“Consider the budget that they’ve got and then look at the last couple of weeks, they were the better side against Cardiff Blues and should have won, they were the better side against Bayonne and should have won, and against us they were the better side and should have won.

“I am sure that will turn around and those narrow losses will become narrow wins.

“I knew before coming to Rodney Parade that we would have to earn the victory and I am not sure we did, they deserved it.

“The Dragons didn’t play much rugby but they were far more accurate and far more energetic.

“Everybody wants to knock them but if they carry on playing like they have done in the last three weeks they will pick up some victories very shortly.”

The Dragons, who have lost their last five games, will hope that elusive win comes next Saturday when the Ospreys head to Newport in the LV= Cup.

And captain Lewis Evans admits a victory is needed to boost a squad that is flagging after their failure to convert pressure into wins.

“It really does demoralise us,” said the flanker. “I sat next to Rob Sidoli in the changing rooms and it’s killing him.

“A win would have changed the mood and made things positive. Everyone has bruised and battered bodies but things don’t hurt quite as much when you have a win under your belt.

“Watching the game back will be uncomfortable viewing yet again because we lost another one that we should have won.

“We have our backs against the wall but we are digging in deep and working hard.

“The boys are putting their bodies on the line, there’s never a lack of application but unfortunately it’s the same old story.”