NEWPORT Gwent Dragons can be the No 1 Welsh team as early as next season, predicts their Wales flanker Dan Lydiate.

The Dragons missed out on Heineken Cup qualification for next season after finishing fourth Welsh team in the campaign just ended, while there was no trap door of a play-off against an Italian team which has saved them in the past.

That means they will figure in the second tier Amlin Challenge Cup competition next season, though there are some pretty good English and French teams in it.

The Dragons may well use that as the launchpad for a major revival, especially after the way they beat the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues in end of season derbies.

Not only that, but all their leading young players like Lydiate, Toby Faletau, Jason Tovey, Adam Hughes, Steffan Jones and Lewis Evans have signed contract extensions under a young, developing coaching team.

And the ground development is continuing fast with a new stand, hospitality suite and boxes plus new offices all due to be ready next season, while the fans have got behind the team with a vengeance.

Lydiate lists all of those factors as reasons why they can quickly climb - all the way to becoming top Welsh team next season.

“We want to be No 1 team, and I don’t see why we can’t be,” said Lydiate as he went back into camp with the Wales squad preparing for Saturday’s game against the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium.

“Since I got back with the Dragons after the Six Nations I’ve seen the developments starting. They have been talking about it for so long but nothing has happened, now all of a sudden it’s going up.

“The fans are seeing that, it’s all good and the crowd was unbelievable in the derbies at the end of the season.

“There’s a good core bunch of boys here and with one or two good players signing we’ll be going places. Seeing everything coming together and everyone with the same way of doing things is brilliant.

“There has been such a change in atmosphere and Darren Edwards’ enthusiasm brings it out even more. He’s not afraid to tell us to play, it doesn’t always work with a couple of things when you are trying stuff but he tells us not to worry about making mistakes, which is good.

“We need to get the inconsistency out of our game like losing the last match against Ulster after winning the derbies. But whereas in the past we would lose all those games now we are getting bonus points in them.

“We also need to get points away. We’ve had the curse of going to Connacht and losing, we’ve got to pick up something in those games because when you start winning it becomes a habit.

“It’s down to the coaches. Rob Appleyard (defence coach) tells us when we go away we need to feel like the home team. That’s something we’ve got to be comfortable with.”

Lydiate accepts this is a big year for him and the other Welsh players with the World Cup in New Zealand in September.

Before then there’s the Barbarians game plus August matches against England (twice) and Argentina. “It’s going to be massive. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to go, but there’s a lot for me to do,” he said.

“Everyone wants to play for their country on the biggest stage but not many get the chance. You have to put your body on the line to do it.

“It couldn’t have worked out better for me especially after what’s happened,” he added, referring to his broken neck three seasons ago.

“With professional rugby you don’t know how long you’ll be there, your form comes and goes, you’ve just got to try and make the most of it while you’re there.”