CARETAKER Dragons boss Ceri Jones says he isn't thinking beyond Saturday night despite making an impression in the Rodney Parade hotseat.

The former Wales prop has been holding the reins while the region's board hunt a permanent successor to Bernard Jackman, who was sacked at the start of December.

Chairman David Buttress shelved plans to appoint an interim boss and instead asked Jones to lead the Dragons in the three festive derbies against Cardiff Blues, the Ospreys and Scarlets.

Interviews have been conducted for the top job but the efforts of forwards coach Jones and his management team means there is no rush to make an appointment.

"After the Scarlets game we will have a sit-down discussion with the board and see how we move forward from here," said Jones.

"We are just solely focusing on this Scarlets game, which is huge for us. That is all that we are concentrating on."

The Dragons were denied a share of the spoils at Cardiff Blues by a last-gasp Gareth Anscombe kick before ending their four-year, 23-game derby losing streak with a thrilling win against the Ospreys on Sunday.

The displays have made the job easier for Jones, who has been assisted by backs coach Barry Maddocks, forwards deputy Ian Evans, skills coach Alan Kingsley and academy boss James Chapron.

"It's really enjoyable when you beat the Ospreys," he said. "It was a huge performance and it put a big smile on my face, and I'm not a massive smiler!

"We have had a good couple of results and put in a decent performance against the Ospreys that I was happy with. All I am focusing on is the team and performance.

"The victory against the Ospreys was huge for the whole region. I said before the game that we had to put a performance in but that the win was massive.

"You could see from social media and around the region how much it meant to everybody, and it's no different in camp."

Jones insists the change of fortunes enjoyed by the Dragons has nothing to do with the exit of Jackman.

"It's not necessarily been a change of management, we have been building all year and much has been made of Bernard going, but there has been the realisation from the squad that they are a good team," he said.

"There has been a backs-to-the-wall thing a bit; there was a lot of pressure on us from everywhere to put performances in that we knew we are capable of.

"It's just been a matter of us all rolling up our sleeves and saying 'right, let's go out there and prove people wrong'.

"The players take huge credit for everything that we have done because they have been really diligent about every part of the game.

"They want this region to improve and they are really putting in everything on the field and in training at Ystrad Mynach."

l Moriarty to miss Scarlets clash: Page 36