NEWPORT Gwent Dragons captain Lewis Evans says he and his squad are “not going to be running away” from the events that took place at Rodney Parade last Friday.

Evans feels the Dragons’ work rate during their 54-22 capitulation against new Guinness PRO12 leaders Leinster can’t be called into question.

However, he reckons the hosts showed naivety, inexperience, inaccuracy and indiscipline as they slumped to an eight-try hammering.

“We simply let ourselves down and we let the fans down,” said the number-eight.

“Off the back of a good performance, when we could have, or should have, won in Connacht, we didn’t back it up. That sums us up sometimes, it’s that inconsistency.

“There were a lot of areas where we came second and we need to make sure that when we go to Glasgow this week we sort out our individual performances and our own house.”

Assessing the Leinster defeat in more detail, he added: “Going in at half-time 14-3 down, the same as Connacht, we still had belief, and there were probably opportunities we left on the table in that first half.

“It was a case of being more accurate and playing in the right areas more, but the tide started to turn in the second half and the ball ran away from us.

“I think we showed a bit of naivety and inexperience at times, it put us under pressure and Leinster are a good team that capitalised on it.

“They managed to put us on the back foot and after that it was hard to recover. They executed their game plan really well and we struggled to match it.

“We’ve all learnt a harsh lesson from that and a lot of it boils down to accuracy, but you can tell Leinster are a very disciplined team and all know what they are doing.”

He continued: “I’ve said it in the past, I don’t want us to go feeling sorry for ourselves.

“We’re not going to be running away from this and we certainly need to front up.

“We’ve got a tough game next and we need to make sure we react, and not go into our shells.”

As for what was said in the inner sanctum of the changing room after the match, Evans said: “It wasn’t too volatile, there was no screaming or shouting, but there was obviously lots of disappointment.

“Frustration seems to be the word I say every week and I sound like a broken record now.

“I look around the changing room and see the potential of it but we’re just not achieving it, and it is frustrating.

“Our work rate certainly wasn’t in question. When you look at that first half, we were chucking our bodies on the line and making tackles.

“We were certainly working hard for each other but our accuracy and discipline at times wasn’t there.

“A side like Leinster are going to punish you and get points on the board, and they scored far too many.”