FIVE became four in the Premiership season and the table didn’t make pretty reading for the Dragons region in 2009-10.

While Newport finished third in the table, and still face games in the play-offs before they can enjoy their summer holidays, the rest were in the bottom half.

That doesn’t tell the whole story – Cross Keys made strides and were well away from the battle to avoid the drop – but it will take a lot of work to ensure nerves are not being tested come April 2011.

Of course, while Keys, Pontypool and Bedwas (a club out of this paper’s catchment area but in the Dragons’) are looking to cement their places in the Premiership, Ebbw Vale will be battling to get back into the top flight of club rugby.

It has been a horror season at Eugene Cross Park and five wins and just 23 tries in 26 games tells its own story.

The Steelmen will face plenty of challenges next season and they will do so without several key players, notably their Dragons Academy trio of Aaron Coundley, Rhys Jenkins and James Thomas.

But Ebbw could have dodged the bullet had Pontypool not gone a late season run of form that was only bettered by champions Neath.

Pooler won six out of their last eight to once again avoid the drop and they need to build on their good work to avoid a hat-trick of tense season finales.

They went back to basics under the new coaching team headed by James Chapron and they profited from playing with width and, when in the right areas, trying things rather than going into their shells. But consistency as well as more strength in depth is needed desperately next season.

The stats may suggest it was a disappointing campaign for Cross Keys – played 26, won nine, drawn one, lost 16 – but the Pandy Park side certainly made progress this season.

Like the Dragons they have always been a side that have battled hard and fought for everything but Keys also added a bit more flair this term.

They were well away from the battle at the bottom but were still too inconsistent and lost too many tight games with their rivals for the last play-off place.

The Keys squad was still a tad light in certain areas but moves have already been made to address that and the Pandy Park side will be keen to move forward again in 2010-11.

Newport finished in third place in the table but it has been a season of near-misses for the Rodney Parade outfit.

The Black and Ambers were superb in the British and Irish Cup and they can look back with immense pride at their wins over Leinster A, Exeter and Gael Force – a trio of sides packed with full-timers.

But they will regret falling short in the pool decider against the Cornish Pirates, a side that probably weren’t as strong as the three they beat, in Camborne.

They also blew their chances of Swalec Cup glory when they threw away a 20-3 lead in the final 15 minutes against Cardiff. Newport finished third and now go into the play-offs but they have also developed players.

Skipper Andrew Coombs has done himself and the club proud after being called-up to the Newport Gwent Dragons back row while wing Mike Poole forced his way into the thoughts of regional bosses.

Plenty of Dragons Academy talent will be sent to the Parade next season and the Newport faithful will hope they help them turn those narrow, frustrating defeats into wins.

- Picking a Gwent XV (and once again Bedwas is deemed out of our patch) will no doubt lead to some howls of derision. But let the debate begin!

15: Gareth Wyatt (Newport) – A class act and a safe pair of hands. Pontypool’s Geraint O’Driscoll had a superb end to the season to run him close.

14: Steve Taylor (Pontypool) – A hard running wing who played a huge part in Pooler’s late charge.

13: Leon Andrews (Cross Keys) – An elusive runner with a booming left boot. Edges out Adam Hughes, who came back superbly from injury and whose cutting edge is shown by his eight tries.

12: Phil Price (Pontypool) – Pips Matthew Pewtner and Pat Leach to the 12 jersey thanks to his strong efforts in defence and attack in the run-in.

11: Mike Poole (Newport) – A class act who, after being hit by injury at the start of the season, ran in 15 tries in 19 games.

10: Lewis Robling (Newport) – A problem position in Gwent but the Dragons Academy fly-half, who played for Newbridge in Division One East, showed promise and nerves of steel in the late televised win over Neath.

9: Jonathan Evans (Pontypool) – Another problem position but the 17-year-old Dragons Academy nine showed great promise and was superb in the crucial win over Newport.

1: Aaron Coundley (Ebbw Vale) – A tackling machine who just pips Newport’s Dai Pattison.

2: Lloyd Burns (Cross Keys) – The main ball carrier as well as skipper and talisman at Pandy Park.

3: Gethin Robinson (Newport) – Doesn’t tend to get a look in at regional level but does a fine job as the cornerstone of the Black and Ambers’ scrum.

4&5: Dafydd Rosser and Alex Jones (Newport) – Developed a superb partnership that operated well in both the set piece and the loose.

6: Andrew Coombs (Newport) – A number eight but moved to flanker for this selection. Inspirational for Newport in the British and Irish Cup.

7: Rob Nash (Cross Keys) – Possesses serious gas and was an absolute menace to the opposition.

8: Rhys Williams (Ebbw Vale) – Too often it seemed like he was the Steelmen’s pack on his own. Offered himself up to carry and a nuisance at the breakdown.