NEWPORT Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner insists they are moving ahead, while senior player Rob Sidoli urges them to change very little at their Rodney Parade headquarters.
The Dragons were beaten 20-14 by rivals Cardiff Blues in their Magners League derby on Friday night, conceding the double, but were without ten players, seven of whom would have started.
They had already qualified automatically for the Heineken Cup for the first time for six years, condemning the Scarlets to finishing bottom Welsh team.
And though the Blues have now leapfrogged them in the table, the Dragons’ losing bonus point means they are only one point behind, though they have to take on the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in their final fixture.
“With the injuries we’ve got it’ll be tough, but we’ve still got something to play for,” said Turner, referring to the remote possibility they could still make the play-offs.
“But the injuries will give an opportunity to some youngsters, we are still going the right way.
“It’s difficult with a small squad and we really had to beat the Blues. But I still take my hat off to the players, for most of the season they have been exemplary, it’s a great place for us, you heard the crowd again tonight.
“The result could have gone with us, there were huge questions about a couple of decisions. It took a sliced kick (by their former outside-half Ceri Sweeney) to undo us.”
Sidoli said: “It would have been nice to put the Blues away, but we were missing a few and there is real pride here, the boys have shown that all year.
“It’s an old-school club with the ground and we’re lucky with the crowd.
“They (the board) are looking at a new development, but they should keep the nature of what the place is all about.
“The support is here and the club has grown, we just needed to pinch a few more away games or we could have been in the play-offs.
“We’ve got a bit of time to recover before the Ospreys game (the date still undecided) but we are growing as a team and in the way we are perceived from the outside. We’ll continue to challenge for things,” he pledged.
l Full back Martyn Thomas has had an operation on the ankle he damaged badly against the Blues and it’ll be touch and go whether he makes the start of next season. Centre Ashley Smith will miss the Ospreys game as well after injuring a foot on Friday.
Lock/blindside Hoani MacDonald has been released by the Dragons after spending two years with them and is expected to join the new Melbourne team.
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