LYN Jones was prepared to take the rough with the smooth in the LV= Cup and a pair of polished finishes left the Newport Gwent Dragons director of rugby able to celebrate victory.

The Rodney Parade region ended a run of four defeats with a much-needed 20-8 home victory against London Wasps.

It was a success that gives the Dragons a lift ahead of a big month of rugby that pits them against the RaboDirect Pro12's top two of Glasgow and Munster before a European double-header with Bordeaux-Begles.

But for Jones, who had to operate without an academy at London Welsh last season, the short-term benefits were a bonus.

He was thinking long-term and a plan had been in place since the summer; a hand-picked group of academy players would be given their debuts in the Anglo-Welsh tournament.

The fixtures against the Scarlets and Wasps saw plenty of teenage talent given their first regional starts – wing Ashton Hewitt, centre Tyler Morgan, flankers James Benjamin and Scott Matthews, lock Joe Davies and hooker Elliot Dee.

There were also Dragons bows for full-back Rhys Jones and his younger brother Dorian at fly-half, scrum-half Luc Jones and lock Cory Hill.

Inexperience equals mistakes yet the Dragons' combination of youth, fringe players and the odd regular came up trumps against Wasps.

Well-taken tries by wingers Matthew Pewtner and Hewitt along with Rhys Jones' superb kicking earned a victory that keeps alive hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.

"You need to be brave enough to give people opportunities," said Lyn Jones. "It reinforces the good work that the academy is doing.

"There are a lot of good rugby players in Wales, we just need to give them a chance at the right time with the right people around them."

To that end lock Robert Sidoli and centre Ashley Smith were key figures against Wasps; the experienced campaigners offered a bit of gentle advice here, a rocket there.

At times the young Dragons' progress was threatened to be derailed by those familiar failings at the scrum and driving lineout but they dug in.

They defended with spirit to concede just eight points and looked the more threatening with ball in hand, a combination that meant they were worthy winners.

Rhys Jones' kicking separated the teams at the break with the Dragons holding a 13-8 advantage.

The Cross Keys and Wales sevens full-back slotted two penalties and a marvellous touchline conversion of Pewtner's score.

The winger, who carried the ball well throughout, finished expertly down the right in the 33rd minute after Benjamin and Hill showed nice hands to give him a run at the line.

That was a rapid response to going behind after Wasps flanker Matt Everard had barged over from a driving lineout, adding to fly-half Joe Carlisle's penalty to give the English side a short-lived 8-6 lead.

The second half was a cagey affair livened up by a few scuffles in the final quarter.

The only yellow card shown was not for fisticuffs but an ill-advised lineout challenge by replacement Wasps lock Kearnan Myall after 65 minutes.

The extra man helped the Dragons settle just as Wasps were threatening to get their noses back in front.

And their victory was secured with five minutes left when Hewitt somehow managed to cross the whitewash.

Wasps pair Chris Bell and Jonah Holmes seemed to have everything covered after the livewire wing went racing down the left following a break through midfield by Will Harries.

But the teenager, thanks to a mixture of a hand-off and some shoddy defence, wriggled clear with Jones' conversion stretching the lead to 20-8.

There was time left for another dust-up that spilled over the touchline towards the Hazell Terrace advertising hoardings but it didn't take the shine off a fine Dragons win.

Dragons: R Jones, A Hewitt, T Morgan, A Smith, M Pewtner (W Harries 68), S Jones, J Evans (L Jones 38, D Jones 68), P Price (A Coundley 65), H Gustafson (E Dee 55), N Buck (D Way 55), R Sidoli (captain), C Hill (J Davies 70), N Talei (S Matthews 58), J Benjamin, I Jones.

Scorers: tries – M Pewtner, A Hewitt; conversions – R Jones (2); penalties – R Jones (2)

Wasps: T Bell (A Goode 57), J Holmes, B Jacobs, C Bell, T Howe, J Carlisle, J Moates (J Simpson 57), R Reeves (S McIntyre 68), N Cochrane (C Festuccia 72), P Swainston (W Taylor 68), E Lozada, J Cannon (K Myall 57), J Haskell (E Jackson 72), M Everard, S Jones.

Scorers: try – M Everard; penalty – J Carlisle

Yellow card: K Myall

Referee: Steve Lee (RFU)

Attendance: 4,150

Argus star man: Ashley Smith