NEWPORT Gwent Dragons’ star back row forward Dan Lydiate has defended his under fire coach Paul Turner after the region’s dismal run of Heineken Cup defeats, writes Iwan Davies.

The talented flanker said he owes a huge debt to Turner for giving him the chance to flourish and develop as a young player.

Lydiate, 23, impressive in the autumn series and on the verge of becoming a big player on the international stage, was speaking at a Wales team press conference yesterday.

Turner has come in for criticism after the Dragons’ defeat to Glasgow on Sunday meant they’d lost all six Heineken Cup group games for the first time.

But Lydiate, who came back from a broken neck playing for the Dragons against Perpignan aged just 19, is right behind his head coach.

On being asked if he backed Turner, Lydiate said: “Yes. I get on with Paul really well. He’s been nothing but fair and good to me.

“The Dragons gave me the chance to play rugby at regional level so I can’t thank them enough for that.

“They blooded me when I was younger which was invaluable in my earlier career.”

On the recent bad run of form that has yielded just six wins out of 19 matches, Lydiate said: “Any team that’s losing games, there’s always going to be questions asked of a coach and the players.

“If we started winning, if we won the next five games it would come up in the press that Paul’s our saviour. That’s the way the rugby world is. If you start losing games everyone starts to get under pressure.”

The 6ft 4in and 17st 11lb blindside said he and his Dragons teammates are always highly motivated: “I always pride myself on performing at my best every game I play so even though results and performances haven’t been great, every one of us always wants to play our best when we are there.

“After last year we had such a good run towards the end of the season and we really want to take that on but we seem to be stuttering at the moment.”

Lydiate is now hard at work with Wales, doing his best to be in the running for the England clash next week.

“Everyone is going at it hammer and tongs in training to get their places,” he said.