Wales On Sunday

WE’RE GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION, INSISTS SKIPPER

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SKIPPER Rhodri Williams insisted Dragons are heading in the right direction, despite their Friday night comeback against Leinster just coming up short.

Dean Ryan’s men claimed a deserved bonus point as late tries from Luke Baldwin and Josh Lewis saw them edged out 35-29 by the league champions.

“To take a point against Leinster shows we are back moving in the right direction,” Williams said.

“We just need to find that extra bit, that bit of belief that we can win these games.

“It was a pretty decent first half from us and there was also a big moment just before half-time (with the disallowed try).

“The boys did well to get back into it at the end and we take the point.

“When you come off the field disappoint­ed with a point against Leinster then you know you are in the credit to them for the way they came back at us.

“But we are pleased with the heart we showed at the end to get something from the game.

“Ultimately, we can’t be happy with the result – we want to win games.

“Now we learn from our mistakes and take what was good forward with us.”

Ryan agreed with his skipper, saying that he had mixed emotions at the end of the game.

“It was a bit of a mixed bag – parts of me are so proud,” said Ryan.

“Aneurin Owen looked the real deal, Ben Fry was outstandin­g and Ben Carter is only 20 – I watched them really compete in that game.

“But then there is the frustratio­n that it was a game we could have been a lot closer in, but for that 10 or 15 minutes after half-time with the yellow cards.

“In those moments we still don’t right place and moving in the right direction.

“And when you look at the score five or ten minutes from the end, you would have taken a point.

“We knew they were going to come back at us in the second half and it was going to come in waves,” he added.

“We had to pick our work rate up a bit and they are a quality side, so believe that if we get through them we can come out the other end.

“It’s educating this group that if they sit in those games against these sorts of sides then something can come.”

Ryan also backed the decision for Sam Davies to kick the ball dead and take a losing bonus point in the final minute.

“I think it was the right decision,” said the Director of Dragon Rugby.

“I don’t think that we were going 80 metres and we are at a stage where a point against Leinster is quite a smart move at the moment, and now we’ve got to go and get some points in the match next week [against Zebre].

“It was absolutely the right decision otherwise we are just going to cut our own throats, but we could have got to that point earlier in the game and then something might have been on, so that’s for us to work on.”

 ??  ?? Luke Baldwin goes over for a try in Dragons’ defeat against Leinster PICTURE: Huw Evans Agency
Luke Baldwin goes over for a try in Dragons’ defeat against Leinster PICTURE: Huw Evans Agency
 ??  ?? Takumi Minamino celebrates after putting Southampto­n ahead in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea
Takumi Minamino celebrates after putting Southampto­n ahead in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea

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