NEWPORT Gwent Dragons must improve their disciplinary record if they are going to get anywhere this season, writes Robin Davey.
Considering the problems they face with injuries and a lack of quality depth in their squad, they have a reasonable return from three successive away Celtic League games with one win and a bonus point.
Victory in Glasgow was well merited, defeat with a bonus against the Ospreys could easily have been a triumph, while they were in a losing bonus-point position against Leinster in Dublin on Friday night with just four minutes to go.
They might even have won all three games had it not been for a disciplinary record which has resulted in five yellow cards being issued against them in those three matches.
Rhys Thomas was sin-binned against Glasgow, Jamie Ringer and Kevin Morgan followed suit against the Ospreys, and Andrew Hall and Sione Tuipulotu were carded against Leinster.
It means that for a total of 50 minutes in those three matches, the Dragons have been below strength, and for a brief period against the Ospreys they were down to 13 men.
Words will be said in training this week, though there is also concern about the unfavourable penalty count against them after referees Nigel Whitehouse and Andrew Ireland virtually whistled them off the park in their last two matches.
Coach Paul Turner has demanded a physical edge from his pack and they have been employing a blitz defence which doesn't give much margin for error, but the 'yellow peril' will have to cease.
There is also concern in the camp about the way the opposition outside Wales are allowed to include their British Lions while the Welsh regions are prevented from doing so until next month because of an insistence on a 12-week condition period being enforced.
Leinster, for example, brought on Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan after an hour, both Lions in New Zealand this summer, whereas the Dragons were employing a club player like Andrew Brown who had never played at that level.
Hardly a level playing-field, though no reflection at all on the performance of Brown, which was quite encouraging, as was that of another youngster, Aled Thomas, once he had settled down after being told less than three hours before kick-off that he would be playing because Craig Warlow had gone down with a stomach bug.
Attention now turns to the Dragons' first home league game of the season against Ulster, who are unbeaten so far and will present a hard edge up front plus the kicking skills of outside-half David Humphreys, who booted 20 points in Friday night's win against Edinburgh.
But there have been many pluses for the Dragons so far, none more so than the barnstorming performance by tight head prop Rhys Thomas against Leinster which impressed Irish judges as well.
The successful return of Richard Bryan is another, while Hal Luscombe is proving a real threat at outside-centre, thrustful in attack and strong in defence, and Gareth Baber continues to turn in excellent all-round performances.
Now the Dragons need a few of their injured players to return, as well as a more disciplined approach and maybe more of the rub of the green from referees.
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