NEWPORT Gwent Dragons blew away the cobwebs with a 48-12 friendly success against Nottingham in Ystrad Mynach.

The Rodney Parade side ran in six tries on the plastic pitch at their training base while new boys Adam Warren, Nick Scott, Ed Jackson, Charlie Davies and Shaun Knight got run outs in a useful exercise.

It was always going to be a stop-start, slightly scrappy affair given that both teams were enjoying their first match action of the summer and with the hosts giving game time to 32 players.

That Rynard Landman was an unused replacement and the likes of Taulupe Faletau, Jack Dixon, Tyler Morgan, Sarel Pretorius, Andrew Coombs, Brok Harris, Boris Stankovich plus the Singha Premiership 7s contingent were among those watching from the grandstand (along with Cardiff Blues and Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe) indicates that slowly but surely Lyn Jones’ squad is developing more depth.

The game had a similar feel to last summer’s encounter with Bristol at Clifton, although it was a much sterner challenge with the East Midlanders putting up sterner resistance than the West Country side’s youngsters.

In the first half their pack gave plenty of problems to a Dragons unit missing a few senior figures, as you’d expect from a side that play in the abrasive English Championship, while they showed plenty of defensive commitment to deny their hosts any freebies.

They ensured that the Dragons management team will be able to give plenty of feedback to their charges, although it’s never wise to over-analyse a friendly or draw big conclusions.

It may have been a warm-up but the Dragons were still in the business of winning and went for the posts from a fifth-minute penalty won at the scrum, Jason Tovey bisecting the posts.

However, it was Nottingham that went over for the first try after first punishing the hosts with a driving lineout then showing good patience for full-back Billy Robinson to dart over at the end of a multi-phase attack.

The Dragons earned back the lead when hooker Hugh Gustafson barged over from close range following good work by Tovey, lock Cory Hill and the lively Scott.

The conversion made it 10-5 but it took a terrific last-ditch tackle by full-back Carl Meyer to deny Nottingham centre Ben Woods after a terrific burst through midfield.

The Midlanders weren’t to be denied on the stroke of half-time, however, when captain Paul Grant went under the sticks after a huge hole was exposed at a ruck. Fly-half Dan Mugford’s conversion made it 12-10 at the break.

The Dragons made 12 changes at the break and the new boys came flying out of the traps with tries by openside Nic Cudd, loosehead Phil Price and number eight Nick Crosswell.

Scrum-half Charlie Davies was prominent in all three and his half-back partner Angus O’Brien added the conversions for a 31-12 lead approaching the final quarter.

The new number 9 was looking sharp, as was Cudd, and the hosts reaped the benefits of fresh legs and some experience up front while Nottingham had kept changes to a minimum.

O’Brien got some more kicking practice to make it 34-12 before a lull until a close-range score by Wales Under-20s loosehead Keagan Bale in the 78th minute and full-back Carl Meyer went over from the final play from a cross-kick.

Newport Gwent Dragons first half: C Meyer, A Hewitt, R Wardle, A Warren, N Scott, J Tovey, L Jones, L Garrett, H Gustafson (R Thomas 29-36), L Fairbrother, C Hill, M Screech, J Thomas, J Benjamin.

Newport Gwent Dragons second half: T Prydie, N Scott (A Hewitt 60), A Warren (C Meyer 60), B Nightingale, A Brew, A O’Brien, C Davies, P Price (K Bale 73), H Gustafson (E Dee 60), S Knight (A Jeffries 73), C Hill (M Screech 60), S Andrews (J Davies 73), L Evans, N Cudd, N Crosswell.

Scorers: tries – H Gustafson, N Cudd, P Price, N Crosswell, K Bale, C Meyer; conversions – J Tovey, A O’Brien (5); penalties – J Tovey, A O’Brien

Nottingham: B Robinson, S Coghlan-Murray, B Woods, V Hakalo, V Iongi, D Mugford, M McConnell, K Davies, A Harris, C Carey, M Eames, T Freeman, B Morris, R Langley, P Grant. Replacements: B Brownlie, H Morley, T Heard, J Green, M Everard, D Veenedaal, O Nawaqalivia, L Rayner, R Andrew.

Scorers: tries – B Robinson, P Grant; conversion – B Mugford

Referee: Neil Hennessey (Welsh Rugby Union)

Attendance: 1,330