NEWPORT Gwent Dragons captain Geraint Rhys Jones could not speak highly enough of his heroic teammates after the region clinched the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s title in dramatic fashion at Twickenham Stoop, writes Marios Papaloizou.

And he stressed how proud a moment it was for the region as the Dragons avenged last year's heartbreak when they went so close to the title but lost out to Gloucester, who were then crowned champions for the second time running.

However, this time the Dragons weren't going to be denied and got the night off to a flying start as they saw off Sale Sharks 26-10 - man of the night Elliot Frewen opening the scoring for the Dragons.

That meant the Dragons had the chance to avenge their defeat to Gloucester and they did just that as Harri Keddie crashed over in the dying minutes to book a spot in the evening's showpiece.

A Wasps side featuring Christian Wade and Elliot Daly lay in wait and it was a Wade double that looked to have sealed the win for the Coventry side.

However, Keddie had other ideas and once again popped up at the death and made sure the trophy was on its way to Wales.

"It's definitely a very happy moment for all of us at Newport Gwent Dragons," said Rhys Jones.

"We were so disappointed last year, losing out in the final, and it was our aim to go one step further this year.

"All the boys really stepped up and showed that they've got some great skills. Everyone had to dig deep and got us that win in the end.

"That was such a tight finish and it was a very tough match. We knew Wasps were a very strong team, and if we were going to win the game we had to keep the ball away from them.

"So those last minutes we did so well to keep hold of the ball and keep them away from it, which finished with us scoring that last-minute try.

"This is such a confidence booster for our team. There were a lot of young boys who had never played in front of a crowd like this before, and they really stepped up against these big players to show that they're just as good.

"Hopefully now this will kick us on really well into the season. Winning lifts the entire team, and we want to carry this momentum into the start of the season.

"To actually win a tournament and lift a trophy is a big moment for me. As a captain that's the first time I have ever lifted a trophy, so I am really proud to be doing it in the Dragons jersey and winning for my region.

"A lot of us were coming out here hoping to show that we're good enough to play in that game next week, and I think some of the performances out here will show Lyn Jones and the rest of the coaching team that we are ready to play."