BOSS Filo Tiatia admits the Dragons paid the price for failing to rack up the points when they had their ‘foot on the throat’ of Cardiff.
The Rodney Parade club suffered an 18th straight loss to the Blue and Blacks after a 31-23 United Rugby Championship defeat at the Arms Park that was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests.
Cardiff led 17-9 at the break thanks to tries by flanker Alex Mann and wing Harri Millard then stretched clear soon after the restart when fly-half Callum Sheedy and centre Rey Lee-Lo went over.
Scrum-half Morgan Lloyd and loosehead Aki Seiuli did cross in the closing stages after coming off the bench but it turned out to be a pointless trip to the capital.
Tiatia, in charge for the first time as interim head coach after the exit of Dai Flanagan, lamented the failure to make pressure count because of missed kicks and blown chances.
“I am disappointed because we built a lot of pressure and momentum in that first half but didn’t capitalise on the opportunities,” said the boss.
“The players need to accelerate where we are at around learning when we have momentum and those missed opportunities.
“I really enjoyed the fightback and the character we showed, while some of our young guys that came on sparked a bit of life in the dragon when we were chasing the game.
“But we just can’t chase a game like that and have to make sure we poke our nose through the gaps to build momentum and move the scoreboard.
“I am pretty happy with the decisions that they are making on the field but it’s just about maximising and getting points when we do have their foot on their throat.”
The Dragons now move into the Challenge Cup with a vital home game against Montpellier first up, realistically a must-win if they are to push for the knockout stages.
“The French are unpredictable and it will be interesting to see what team they bring to Rodney Parade,” said Tiatia.
“It’s a short turnaround but we are looking to the challenge. They have some very good players and have an interesting style.
“We have done a lot of work about playing against bigger teams and we have to be more clinical with our technique and maximising our mass when defending, whether carrying or cleaning out.”
The Dragons have a six-day turnaround and will need to assess centre Joe Westwood after he limped off in the opening stages in the capital.
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