QUALIFYING for the European Champions Cup is the target Dragons head coach Bernard Jackman has set his charges ahead of the new campaign, according to scrum-half Sarel Pretorius.

The Rodney Parade region haven’t featured in Europe’s premier rugby competition since the 2010-11 season when they lost all six group games and mustered just two losing bonus points.

Since then it’s been the second tier Challenge Cup that has preoccupied the minds of Dragons players and fans, with runs to the semi-finals in both 2015 and 2016.

Jackman’s reign may have started with two friendly defeats, one a lot heavier than the other, last weekend, but there are hopes that the Irishman can turn the team’s fortunes around.

The no-nonsense former Connacht, Leinster and Ireland hooker has been keen to hit the ground running hard since taking over from Kingsley Jones.

And it appears he is not afraid to set the bar high when it comes to the Dragons’ goals for the 2017-18 term in the new-look Guinness PRO14.

When asked what the aims for the season were, Pretorius said: “We had lots of meetings and Bernard said the target would be to qualify for the Champions Cup, so that’s one of our goals.

“If we can target to win all our home games on that good pitch they have prepared for us then I think we’re halfway there.

“If we can go out with that mindset and that goal in sight that would be good.”

South African Pretorius hadn’t come into contact with Jackman before the latter moved to Newport, but he did get some inside information on his new boss from a few of his fellow countrymen in France.

“Some of our mates in Grenoble (Jackman’s previous club) spoke about him and said he was a really good coach.

“He laid out everything for us from day one and with him it’s black or white, there’s no in between.

“He’s been a really good coach from day one and led by example.

“He just wants to create a good culture and environment here at the Dragons from the bottom to the top.

“If we can pull that through indoors it will reflect on the pitch.”

He continued: “I reckon it has been one of our toughest pre-seasons.

“We had some tough pre-seasons back home in Super Rugby but this has been one of the toughest.

“One of the goals is to be one of the fittest teams and I think we’re going to be close to that.”

Not only has Pretorius been impressed with the impact Jackman has made, the Dragons’ two big summer signings, he says, are also making their mark on the region.

“Zane (Kirchner) and Gav (Henson) are really good players, old campaigners who have been around and got a lot of international caps to their names,” he said.

“It’s good for the Dragons, especially the younger boys who are learning a lot from them.

“If they say something then the boys listen, and they’ve got a lot of good ideas as well.

“It’s great for the region and our team.”

The Dragons continue their build-up to the new campaign tomorrow when they travel to Sandy Park to play Aviva Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs in their penultimate warm-up game (3.30pm).