DIRECTOR of rugby Lyn Jones admits the next four games will be pivotal as the Newport Gwent Dragons aim to make significant progress in climbing the Guinness Pro12 table.

After moving to the top of their European Rugby Challenge Cup pool with two thumping wins over Bucuresti Wolves, the Dragons turn their attention back to their patchy league form.

Jones’ men are currently 11th with just one victory from nine games – a 33-15 home win over basement boys Treviso at the end of September.

But with 10th-placed Zebre coming to Rodney Parade on Sunday and home and away derbies with ninth-placed Cardiff Blues on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day the Dragons have the chance to claw their way up the standings before facing the Ospreys away on January 11.

“We’re very pleased to be where we are but we want to put the European competition to one side now,” said Jones.

“We’ve got a little bit of repair work to do on our season and that starts on Sunday.

“I think December every season is the fulcrum point for every side,” he added.

“It affects everything that will happen next because you could do badly in rounds three and four in Europe and if you don’t get certain results in your local derbies then European qualification becomes extremely difficult.

“Last season we started the season very well and then tailed off. This season we haven’t started very well but we’re improving and it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.

“We are generating momentum in confidence and performances here and we want to see that reflected through the four games that we have between now and ERC 5.

“We’re a different side to where we were probably two months ago and things are moving in the right direction but we need to make sure we do nail a big performance on Sunday.

“I don’t think we’ll win the Celtic League as it stands but for a region like ourselves that has been stuck in the bottom four for what seems to be forever the fight for us to get out of that and sustain for ourselves some sort of credibility. That’s our objective.”

While admitting that this weekend’s Italian Job is crucial, Jones was not prepared to label it a must-win game for his side.

“Every time the weekend comes around the players understand how important the match is for their livelihoods and for the business,” he said.

“When they put that shirt on they go out and give 100 per cent and that’s all they can do.

“Lots of what happens in a game is in the lap of the Gods but a lot we can control as well.

“We can control the controllables and the harder we try the more chance we’ve got of becoming lucky.”