MIKE Ruddock, the most successful coach in the turbulent history of the Dragons, says Bernard Jackman’s successor must be given time to revitalise the region.

The Dragons parted company with Jackman, who was less than 18 months into a three-year contract, on Tuesday.

The former Ireland hooker was the seventh coach in the history of the region, and the first since its takeover by the Welsh Rugby Union.

And Ruddock, who was the first coach of the Dragons before guiding Wales to the 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam, believes the region needs continuity.

Now coaching semi-pro outfit Lansdowne in Ireland, Ruddock told BBC Wales: “I'm commenting from afar so I've got to be mindful of that.

“But whoever they settle on this time they have to give the time to build something. The reality is they have to give the guy time.

“I'm very conscious of how important it is for Welsh rugby – if Gwent rugby is strong it's going to help the national coach, so hopefully the WRU will get the next appointment right and they'll give that time to build something over time.”

The Dragons have been consistently the weakest of the Welsh regions on the field and wracked by financial issues off it.

In the past 13 seasons the Dragons have finished outside the bottom four on just two occasions.

This season the region is second from bottom in Conference B of the Pro14 and last Saturday's 48-14 Challenge Cup defeat at Northampton leaves them with a solitary win over Romanian minnows Timisoara Saracens at the Pool 1 halfway stage.

It was a different story when Ruddock was in charge in the 2003-2004 campaign – the first season of regional rugby in Wales.

At half-time in the final game of the season the Newport Gwent Dragons, as they were then, were on course to win the Celtic League title.

They ended up third, behind Ulster and eventual champions Llanelli Scarlets and it's been downhill ever since.

“It started out as a joint venture between Ebbw Vale and Newport but rugby politics stepped in and soon the Ebbw Vale side of things was no longer,” Ruddock recalled.

“We actually went into administration during that first season, lost a couple of players and were threatened with pay cuts.

“And despite all of that and despite the feeling that we had a weak-ish squad, we stuck together and worked hard for each other. We could still do well and we actually finished third in that league.

“It was a great effort and shows what can be done if everyone is on the same page and pulls together.”

Born and raised in Gwent, Ruddock played schoolboy rugby for the county and believes it is crucial to have a strong regional team based there.

“I played county rugby for Gwent against Glamorgan when we were full of British and Irish Lions you know.

“We had Bob Norster, Ian Stephens, Stuart Davies and all those guys – a crop of Lions and Welsh internationals.

“I drew on that experience to try and build an identity with the Dragons.

“Everyone realises it's not a quick fix about the coach, it's about developing the work the academy is doing and building a squad over time.”