WITH the excitement of the Nato summit over – the constant flash of blue lights, protesters and general hype in the city – hopefully the Dragons can keep Newport in the limelight.

Playing host to some of the most powerful people in the world was great for Wales and especially Newport. Feeling part of such a major event, with the Celtic Manor at the forefront, makes me a very proud Newportonian.

We are back to normality now but this time last week I had watched Obama drive past Jason Tovey’s house on his way to Mount Pleasant Primary School while Ashley Smith was giving updates of the last helicopters flying by the Celtic Manor.

There’s no doubt that the event showed our city in a fantastic light and I hope the Dragons can be a beacon for the area, with our success keeping Newport in the public eye.

Hopefully that can start with a win against the Ospreys tonight and we head into the game desperate to make up for a disappointing performance in Connacht.

There was a genuine feeling in the camp that we could make history with a first win in Galway since 2004 because the squad now has the right blend of experience and youthful exuberance.

We didn’t get what we wanted but I know from experience that coming away with a losing bonus point isn’t a bad result.

Our set piece was severely tested and stressed last year but, with the combination of new players and going back to basics, it proved to be a massive positive. That is now our benchmark for the season.

The travel to Galway can be challenging so it was good that we were able to go in and out on the day, flying from Cardiff to Shannon on a chartered flight.

Hopefully we will show the benefits of that against the Ospreys as a six-day turnaround would be even tougher if had got back to Wales on Sunday afternoon rather than Saturday evening.

It is still tough to have a 16-hour day of travel with a game of rugby chucked in the middle but at least it has helped us to have a good week of training.

Being a Newport boy I was a little concerned with the commute up to our new base in Ystrad Mynach but it’s the best thing to have happened to the Dragons in some time.

Being known as the Newport Gwent ‘Nomads’ was tough throughout the seasons but now we have a professional environment that is the envy of most.

We have all we need in terms of weights and conditioning in the gym, with the training paddock just metres away and physio and catering facilities on site.

The other pleasant surprise has been the weather! The sun has been beautiful and I am trying to warn our new South African recruit Rynard Landman that it may just be a few degrees colder in the coming months.

The hard work has been put in this week and we are focused on getting off to a winning start at home this evening – we know that we need to make Rodney Parade a fortress.

It is a real old school stadium and along with the fans being our 16th man, it is – as most captains at the Guinness Pro12 launch said – not a nice place to come. We want to keep it that way.

I love a derby game, whether as a fan or player, and they are always great games to watch with so many reputations on the line.

The side picked to play tonight has the opportunity to put right a few wrongs from Connacht and that vital home win.

I look forward to hearing you backing us from the terraces.