Tiatia hails resolve and resilience in group

Head Coach Filo Tiatia praised the ‘resolve and the resilience’ of his Dragons as they staged a dramatic last-minute comeback to defeat Zebre Parma 19-18 in Parma.

Tries from Jared Rosser and Ben Carter had looked to end in defeat in a tense BKT United Rugby Championship clash in Italy.

But a stunning late score from David Richards saw Dragons win on the road in the league for the first time since April 2022.

“There is a lot of grit and character in this group and that has been building for a long time,” said Tiatia.

“I’m proud of the players for staying in the fight. We created a lot of opportunities, but we also gave Zebre opportunities to stay in the game.

“I thought Zebre were very good. They took chances and put us under pressure, which is what we need moving into next week.

“The resolve and the resilience from this group to fight right until then end - I’m really proud of them."

Reflecting on the game, Tiatia added: “We had a yellow card and too many penalties, there are things to tidy up for next week, but now we freshen the boys up and get ready for an exciting week in Europe.

“Montpellier is a different challenge coming, but we must enjoy the moment. Semi-finals don’t come around too often, and you must earn them.

“We must earn the right to play well next week, and that means getting our detail right and getting our discipline right.”

Tiatia also praised the impact of several players who staked a claim for a semi-final spot with big performances in Italy.

“The bench was good and I’m happy for some of the guys who hadn’t played high minutes leading into this game,” he said.

“I thought Dillon (Lewis) went well got good minutes under his belt, Shane (Lewis-Hughes) played well. Rhodri Jones too and hopefully Owain (James) is okay after he had to come off.

“Guys got minutes and got to put the jersey on. Matthew Screech was also outstanding when he came on and really imposed himself.”