Stand-in skipper Jamie Roberts has called on Dragons to raise their games and pull together a complete performance when they kick-off 2021 against the Scarlets.
Dean Ryan’s men will be aiming to bounce back from derby day disappointment against Cardiff Blues when they tackle Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets on New Year’s Day (kick-off 5.15pm).
Roberts, who captained the side in the absence of Rhodri Williams in the narrow 13-12 loss to Blues, knows the team must be better after errors and penalties cost them at Rodney Parade last time out.
“We’re going to have to raise our game – but we have the ability to do so,” he said. “That is the great thing about his group, the ability is there.
“When you look at the growth in this team in the first half of the season, it has been impressive. But every game we find something not to do well.
“Even when we have won games, such as those two games away in Italy and Glasgow, there were still parts that we got wrong.
“We’re always searching for the perfect game,” he added. “We have all these assets to our game that we have put together at different times in different games this season.
"We’re doing some things well, but some things poorly and that’s just not good enough at this level. You get found out.
"We’re playing a side next in the Scarlets who are a very good side. We are away from home so we will have a look at what the weather report is saying and adapt.
“The fundamentals of our game have to be right against Scarlets because they have thew power to cause us problems.”
Reflecting on the defeat on home soil last time out, Roberts admits Dragons only had themselves to blame after a disappointing second half showing.
"As much as you want to talk about the lads playing well in patches, there were some basic errors," he said. "It lost us the opportunity to cause problems for them.
"When the conditions are like that, you’re right under the microscope with those little behaviours. If you get them wrong, you concede penalties.
“If you do that against a side as powerful as the Blues, and you put yourself under pressure, you’re going to concede points.
"It was never going to be an expansive game, but we were second best in that second half.”
The fundamentals of our game have to be right against Scarlets because they have thew power to cause us problems...
