Scrum half Gonzalo Bertranou praised the performance of a youthful Dragons side against high-flying French outfit Section Paloise – but admitted the team needed to play smarter after a narrow loss.
Tries from James Benjamin and George Young – his first for the club – and 11-points from the boot of Cai Evans put the Men of Gwent on the cusp of a famous victory at Stade de Hameau.
But late drama saw the French Top 14 side snatch the win with a try from the final play.
“It’s hard to swallow,” said Bertranou, playing his first game for Dragons this season after the Rugby World Cup with Argentina.
“We put in loads of good effort in with a very young team against one of the top teams in France, but we must be smarter in crucial moments of the game.
“I am sad but at the same time very proud of the youngsters and very happy to be back on the team.
“Games last 80 minutes so we need better decisions and be a tough team to beat.
“Last season was very tough for me,” he added. “I got injured in my second game of the season, so I miss a lot of the guys and I miss playing for the Dragons.
“I am very happy to be back, but I love winning, so it is a hard one to take tonight. “I am looking forward to the next few weeks, playing rugby and getting some wins.
“The next thing for us is derby days. I know that it is very important for the Welsh and the Dragons supporters.
“My head is completely on the next games. It is now about how we recover and train well.
“I am looking forward to next week and hopefully I will be on the team to beat Cardiff. It has been a while.”
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We put in loads of good effort in with a very young team against one of the top teams in France, but we must be smarter in crucial moments of the game...
