Dragons captain Lewis Evans has warned his players will hear some home truths after admitting they “capitulated” yet again away from home.
The No.8 was reflecting on another hammering for the region after they were crushed 45-13 by the worst team in the Guinness Pro14, the Southern Kings.
The South Africans – a team without a win all season before Friday’s fixture in Port Elizabeth and who have appeared a shambles in most of their games against the Welsh regions – ran in six tries to make it 12 games without a victory for coach Bernard Jackman’s team who last experienced victory way back in September.
At the turn of the year, Jackman publicly condemned some of his players to a future away from Rodney Parade, stating that they were not good enough and they would not be kept around for another campaign.
It always appeared a dubious tactical tool and it has since proved a blunt instrument, although Evans says there will be more “harsh words” to come in private after this latest collapse.
Evans said: “Credit to the Kings for their attacking play and they dealt with our pressure but there are lessons to be learned and some harsh words to be said. We need to get better.
“It was a shame the way we capitulated. That try just before half-time was tough to take but then we just compounded more errors in the second half.
“We couldn’t convert possession into points. We had reasonable pressure at times and would go multi-phase but just turned the ball over.”
The Kings claimed their maiden Pro14 win at the 17th attempt, although they had to come from behind following a misleading glimpse of dominance from the Dragons early on.
The Dragons raced into a 10-0 lead, only to slip markedly off the pace and gift the struggling Kings a long-awaited victory.
The Dragons have now failed to win any of their last dozen matches, a run that includes two draws and stretches back to their 29-13 victory over the Kings on September 30 at Rodney Parade.
And they conceded six tries against a side who closed the gap between the two teams to eight points in Conference B.
Dorian Jones scored all of the Welsh side’s points, converting his own try and landing two first-half penalties.
But Luzuko Vulindlu scored twice and Masixole Banda, Ruaan Lerm, Anthony Volmink and Bobby de Wee also crossed for the hosts, who scored 31 unanswered points in the second half.
Kurt Coleman kicked 15 points from the tee to ensure the Kings ended their losing streak in style.
Southern Kings: Masixole Banda; Michael Makase, Berton Klaasen, Luzuko Vulindlu, Anthonie Volmink; Martin Du Toit, Rowan Gouws; Schalk Ferreira, Michael Willemse (capt), Pieter Scholtz, Stephan Greeff, Bobby De Wee, Andisa Ntsila, Martinus Burger, Ruaan Lerm.
Replacements: Stephan Coetzee, Johan Smith, Luvuyo Pupuma, Lindokuhle Welemu, Andries Van Schalkwyk, Godlen Masimla, Kurt Coleman, Jacques Nel.
Dragons: Zane Kirchner; Ashton Hewitt, Jarryd Sage, Jack Dixon, Jared Rosser; Dorian Jones, Dan Babos; Sam Hobbs, Liam Belcher, Leon Brown, Joe Davies, Rynard Landman, Harri Keddie, James Benjamin, Lewis Evans (capt)
Replacements: Ellis Shipp, Gerard Ellis, Lloyd Fairbrother, Max Williams, Aaron Wainwright, Sarel Pretorius, Connor Edwards, Rio Dyer.
Referee: Quinton Immelman (SARU)