NEWPORT Gwent Dragons Premiership Select XV hope that the chastening experience of a Doncaster drubbing serves them well when they get their British and Irish Cup campaign under way at Bedford tomorrow.

The Dragons open their campaign with a trip to Goldington Road (kick-off 3pm, SAT) ahead of a clash with Ealing Trailfinders at Cross Keys a week on Saturday and a round three clash with Yorkshire Carnegie at Pontefract RFC before the fixtures are reversed.

Last season the region's mixture of fringe players, academy talent and Premiership semi-professionals enjoyed an excellent start to the cross-border competition with victories against Connacht in Galway and Jersey at Pandy Park.

However, the wheels came off against Doncaster before Christmas with the Knights triumphing 21-16 in Yorkshire before romping to a 49-17 success on the 3G surface at the Dragons' training base in Ystrad Mynach.

If the young prospects in the side had forgotten what they were taught last December then it was hammered home again by the Dragons seniors earlier this week when the BIC side were up against those preparing for Brive in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

"Doncaster were a very good team and it was a lesson for us. The boys found out that if you make errors then good teams will punish you," said academy boss James Chapron, who is heading up the coaching team again.

"We had that in training on Tuesday when training against the seniors – we turned the ball over on the 10-metre line and they went 50 metres and we were scrambling.

"It was a harsh lesson and one that the younger sides need to learn quickly. Against Bedford we need to keep the ball, go through the phases and be positive in what we do."

The Dragons chances have been harmed by the seniors' injury problems with the likes of Ashley Sweet, James Benjamin and Ross Wardle, who all featured in the BIC last year, sidelined while Harri Keddie, Rhys Buckley and Darran Harris are needed against Brive.

Chapron knows he has a young group but that tough experiences against English opponents will serve their development well, and he also expects to see progress from 2015/16.

"For players like (tighthead) Leon Brown, (fly-half) Arwel Robson, Connor Edwards and Barney Nightingale (both centres) it was their first year in the competition out of regional age-grade and that will stand them in good stead," he said.

"They've all been training with the seniors as proper professionals and that gives them confidence.

"Kingsley and his coaches have integrated British and Irish Cup training with the seniors, so we are at a decent intensity to give us the best possible chance."

Yorkshire Carnegie, who used to be called Leeds, travel to Ealing in the other fixture in Pool Five.

The northern side are currently six from six in the Greene King IPA Championship while the Trailfinders have won three and drawn one while Bedford have won two and lost four.

"These first two games are crucial to get the campaign off to a good start, which we did last year to set up the Doncaster double-header," said Chapron.

"If we can pick up something in Bedford and target a home win against Ealing we are in the fight, if we don't then it's an uphill battle for the next four games."

The Dragons name their side at midday today.