NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have plunged from one prop crisis into another.

No sooner had Peter Bracken arrived from playing amateur rugby in Ireland to shore up one side of the scrum after Ben Castle and Gethin Robinson went down injured, than the Dragons lost two more props. Nigel Hall and Ali McKenzie were both injured in the first half of Friday night’s near-miss Heineken Cup clash against Gloucester at Kingsholm – and could be out for some time.

Neither could resume in the second half and McKenzie, a new signing in the summer, could be sidelined for at least two months with a broken hand.

Hall has damaged an a/c joint in his shoulder, and while the Dragons are waiting to hear the full extent of the injury he could well be missing for several weeks, maybe more.

So once again it’s down to the last man standing for the Dragons ahead of Friday night’s must-win Heineken Cup-tie against Glasgow at Rodney Parade.

Bracken had to go on earlier than expected for the entire second half against Gloucester and understandably looked a bit short of match fitness.

But suddenly he finds himself as the sole tight head available – and this time there is nothing the Dragons can do about it as they are not allowed to draft another one in for the second Heineken group match, though they can, and probably will, for the Magners League.

Under new rules this season should the Dragons be forced to go to passive scrums they will have to lose a player, which will mean them playing with 14 men against Glasgow.

It’s a dire situation and coach Paul Turner lamented: “No sooner do we get the prop situation sorted out than we lose two more.”

On the credit side, however, there is a chance skipper Tom Willis will be fit for the Glasgow game after being out since the opening match of the season with a torn calf muscle, though Steve Jones has done well enough.

And centre Ashley Smith, who has led the side twice this season, says they will bounce back against the Scottish team, and he insisted the 19-17 defeat against Gloucester after they led 14-7 at the interval was not down to a lack of belief.

“We have got to put in a performance against Glasgow and we will, though they have come back well since we beat them in the league,” he said. “The pressure will be on and we have got to deliver. We know we missed an opportunity, but we will rectify our mistakes, a week is a long time in rugby.

“We got a bonus point against Gloucester so it wasn’t a total disaster. We were unlucky and it was very disappointing, but there was no lack of self- belief, definitely not, we just gave away too many penalties.”

Turner admitted: “The indiscipline killed us, we didn’t put enough together in the second half, but we still came here and frightened the life out of Gloucester, we just couldn’t maintain it and we dried up in the second half.

“It was a missed opportunity because Gloucester were there for the taking, but they didn’t make as many errors as us and probably just deserved to shade it.

“It was disappointing for the fans, who made a real tangible presence, and I’d like to thank them for that.”

Gloucester were full of praise for the Dragons, coach Bryan Redpath saying: “They didn’t come here to do anything other than win and they showed a lot of composure, but we’ll take the four points.”

Captain Gareth Delve, the Wales No 8, added: “It was a very tough game, they fancied their chances and they backed it up. Gavin Thomas was a bit of a pest all night, which is what you want from a No 7.

“I know a lot of the Dragons, they’ve got some very talented players and they were full of passion and heart, we never took them lightly, but now we’ve got to go and give Biarritz a battle.”