THERE is no way Newport Gwent Dragons will be underestimated in the new season warns Gareth Jenkins, the well established and highly respected coach of Celtic League champions Llanelli Scarlets.

Jenkins expects the Dragons to be one of their biggest threats in their aim to retain the Celtic League title, but says there will be more pressure on them this time around.

A year ago the Dragons appeared in complete disarray with chief backer Tony Brown having resigned after a series of disagreements, and the new team started the season labelled as a bunch of rejects.

The situation got worse when the Dragons went into administration, though Brown had returned, but things gradually improved to such a degree that the squad almost brought off a shock Celtic League title triumph and ended the season with an unbeaten home league record.

"The Press wrote them off which was motivation for them," said Jenkins. "On top of that they had a good, experienced coaching team who were well established (Mike Ruddock, Clive Griffiths and Leigh Jones) which was very important to what they achieved.

"They also had an experienced group of players and a good balance in the squad which had been undervalued.

"They were allowed to grow because there were not a lot of demands from outside," added Jenkins, referring to a lack of international calls on the Dragons squad.

"We can't possibly underestimate them next season. They are one of the strongest teams in the Celtic League so there will be more pressure on them, as there will be on us."

The Scarlets will provide the Dragons with their first home game of the season, the Rodney Parade clash on September 17 already lining up as a humdinger before an anticipated big crowd.

l continued from back "They had a formidable home record last season and they grew as a team from a performance point of view," said Jenkins.

"A year down the road things have changed, the future for Welsh rugby is now fully regional, so the Dragons have had the summer to take the opportunity of marketing the product."

Jenkins is adopting a wait and see approach to the surprise appointment of former Australian rugby league coach Chris Anderson as the new Dragons chief.

But he believes the Dragons' recruitment programme has been the strongest of the Welsh regions.

"I have no view of the Chris Anderson appointment, that would be reacting before the event just like people did last season about the Dragons," said Jenkins.

"You are running on quicksand if you do that. You have got to be prepared to give him a chance, he has been chosen by a group of people who understand the importance of the decision.

"It was a surprise they went for him for sure, but I don't really want to talk about that. The jury is out, let's give him the opportunity to prove himself.

"The Dragons have recruited probably more forcefully than anybody else and they were able to take the opportunity of bringing in real quality out of the debacle," said Jenkins, referring to the demise of the Celtic Warriors and the Dragons' recruitment of Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Cooper, Kevin Morgan, Jon Bryant and Jonathan Bryan.

"We had catered for 95% of our needs before the Warriors announcement, but we are all far stronger now that ever before. We have to look at ourselves and identify the responsibility.

"It's going to be far harder, but we have all got to have ambition. One of the Scarlets' clear aims is to win the Celtic League title again, though it won't be easy.

"And we have got to get more than one team in with a chance of winning the Heineken Cup competition."