Final season: fifteenth
Head coach: Filo Tiatia
Co-captains: Ben Carter and Angus O’Brien
Key man: Ryan Woodman – The lack of quantity eight Aaron Wainwright to Leicester is large however the blind-side flanker may help soften the blow. After dealing with Barbarians with Wales final summer time, the uncapped ahead can put himself within the combine for the World Cup.
Prospects: Dragons’ much-improved 2025-26 that has led to them setting a lofty goal of being within the combine for the play-offs.
Filo Tiatia’s aspect made the semi-finals of the Problem Cup and had the largest factors swing within the URC, claiming 28 after the earlier yr’s embarrassing tally of 9.
After 4 attracts, Dragons really feel that they’ll push into the race for the highest eight.
They are going to no less than wish to keep away from being Wales’ lowest-ranked aspect – one thing they’ve been in 18 of 23 seasons – and finish their 21-game shedding streak in opposition to closest rivals Cardiff that goes again to 2015.
Dragons made simply three signings and solely one in every of them, Tonga wing Anzelo Tu’itavuki, will function within the first block of the season.
After loads of summers of upheaval, influential centre Aneurin Owen sees the dearth of change as a constructive.
“It has meant we’ve got been capable of construct on final season, we have not began from scratch,” he stated.
“Adjustments could be good however they will also be disruptive. Now we have banked all the stuff from final season and been capable of develop our recreation much more.”
Dragons journey to Benetton however then play 5 fixtures in Wales earlier than the break for the Nations Championship.
They’ve residence URC derbies in opposition to Scarlets and Ospreys, a Problem Cup opener in opposition to Perpignan, an away fixture in opposition to Ospreys on the revamped St Helen’s after which a Newport fixture versus Zebre.
“Final yr it felt we did not get our season going till December after we received a win and confidence grew,” stated Owen.
“We have to kick on. There have been some promising indicators final season, particularly within the cup, however we nonetheless completed fifteenth.
“The problem we’ve got set as a gaggle is to get after it within the league and Europe, and all of it begins with this primary block. We are able to get some momentum and perception.”
