'With the current resources we've got, we're struggling to cope at this level'

Dragons Director of Rugby Dean Ryan says the WRU owned region isn’t resourced well enough to compete in the United Rugby Championship.

Last night Glasgow Warriors claimed a relatively comfortable 5-try victory over the Dragons in Scotstoun, with Glasgow back row Ryan Wilson saying they were targeting the game as a potential 5-pointer going into it.

Ryan left the RFU for the Dragons in 2019, having previously worked with the region as a rugby consultant in 2012.

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In his first season the Dragons the Newport side won five games in the league, equalling their 2018/19 tally and they made it six wins in 2020/21 season. However, fortunes have taken a major dip in the inaugural URC, with just a single win to their name so far this season.

“I don’t think we can hide away from it – with the current resources we’ve got, we’re struggling to cope at this level of game,” Ryan told Premier Sports following the defeat to Glasgow. “At the start of the season when we had everyone on deck but now we’ve lost a few, we’re finding that difficult.”

“I don’t think effort is something that’s really up for questioning.

“We were well beaten in the first half hour of the game again and it was a challenge for us to stay together in that second half because we could implode trying to get back into it.”

The Welsh side made seven changes to the matchday squad ahead of their visit north, but Ryan seemed to suggest some of their personnel were simply outmatched.

“As always, we’ve got to try and support this group. The current resources we’ve got at the Dragons, the strategy that gives us those resources means that we have to put some guys out there who it is right up against.

“My job is to keep that stable and keep supporting them, and I will do that. I didn’t think we were that close today.”