Newport Gwent Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones has admitted that he is "proud" of his players following their comprehensive victory over Stade Francais.
The Welsh outfit kicked off their European Challenge Cup campaign in impressive style, running out 38-22 winners at the Stade Jean Bouin last night.
It was a result in stark contrast to their current league form, with the Dragons having lost five of their six Pro12 games.
"I am delighted for the players, they gave everything and laid themselves on the line," Wales Online quotes Jones as saying. "I am really proud of the way that they have gone about their business because our performance against Edinburgh last weekend was not good, it was weak in many facets but we didn't panic.
"We have worked hard, stayed positive and the win against Stade Francais is a reflection of the players' character. It's only one victory but it shows what we can achieve when we apply ourselves properly.
"Confidence is everything. Kingsley [Jones, head coach] and I have been trying to instil belief into the players to come to places like this and play positively, then you can achieve anything you like. The Dragons have had so many tough nights in Europe so it's nice to have something to cheer rather than a hard luck story."
Newport are back in European action on Friday night when they host Newcastle Falcons.
Daniel Lewis
