NEWPORT Gwent Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones hailed the character of his new charges after their stunning start to the season.

The Dragons toppled last season’s RaboDirect Pro12 table-toppers Ulster at Rodney Parade on Friday evening.

The visitors scored the only try of the game – Roger Wilson crossing from a driving lineout – but the left boot of fly-half Jason Tovey secured a tremendous 15-8 win for the region.

“It’d be so easy to just reflect on the result, which was a big positive, but the whole performance was very pleasing,” said Jones, who was appointed in June.

“Ulster are a very good side that are three years into their project while we are just starting ours.

“We showed a lot of character and organisation. Our breakdown work was good, our defensive structure was good and amongst all that the players worked hard.

“Any coach in the world has got a chance when he has players who are prepared to put their bodies on the line.

“Ulster are a very good side and it took a lot out of us, the intensity was huge and we stuck in there.

“If we’d lost against Ulster what we saw would still have been a massive positive. If it had been 15-8 to them then we would still have tapped ourselves on the back and seen it as progress.”

Ulster boss Mark Anscombe was furious with Italian official Claudio Blessano’s refereeing of the scrum and the breakdown but said the Dragons were good value for the points.

"They thoroughly deserved it. They played with energy and we weren't smart enough," he said.

"In the first half we played in the wrong end of the park and at half-time we talked about them being happy to accumulate points in threes, so we had to play at the right end of the park and we didn't do it. Simple.

"If we play like that against Glasgow (next Friday) they'll put 30 points on us.”

The Dragons take on Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Friday.