Dai Flanagan: Dragons head coach adopts no excuses policy

Dai Flanagan played for Cardiff and Ospreys before taking up coaching roles with Scarlets and Dragons

Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan says the professional sides in Wales need to adopt a no excuses policy about performances on the field.

Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young said this week the four Welsh regions could beat each other in derbies, but were about 20 points behind other sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

Dragons go to Cardiff on Saturday.

"We have pretty good teams so why should we be 20 points behind? That would be my question," Flanagan said.

"We have to find out why, if that is the case.

"If you look at all four regions we have international teams, even our pack is an international pack and I believe we have backs who should be.

"We have to look at what we do as staff, how we coach and put belief in these players. I look at myself a lot and the players need to look at themselves a lot because we shouldn't be (20 points behind).

"We have four international rugby teams. If you look at every starting XV at the moment and you say they should win any game of rugby they are involved in.

"That's our job as staff to make sure we do... because I want our boys to get better and believe, which I firmly do, that we can go into any game of rugby and win no matter who we play.

"I know the comments have been said and I don't know in what context and things can get misunderstood.

"From my end, if you look at the four teams with the internationals in the line-ups, it it is the case we have to find out why. Each XV is good enough to win any rugby game."

With supporters pointing to the lack of funding compared to other countries, Flanagan agreed there needed to be a no excuse culture.

"We may lack some depth and then we need too go back to what are we doing in our academies and pathways to produce better players more often," added Flanagan.

"We don't lack top-end players. If you look at the success our national team has had over the years, the regions have not replicated that.

"We have in periods but not consistently and that makes me wonder why. What was the difference in the Scarlets to a certain year to two years later? What is the difference in the Ospreys consistently winning the league to where they are now?

"I don't know the answers, I just firmly believe we have four regional teams stacked with quality."

Flanagan defended the academy system saying criticism was "unfair".

"Academies work well in Wales," he added. "Because our national team is always thriving we produce player after player.

"We just have to find a way to have a belief when we enter the field as a region we can win - not we enter the field and we are 20 points worse than everyone else."

Dai Young is in his second spell as Cardiff director of rugby

No Welsh side is currently in the top half of the URC with all four teams finishing in the bottom half last season.

"I don't think there is much between any of us four regions and I think we can all beat each other on the day," said Young.

"There is nothing in these derby games and it is very much on the day.

"The bigger issue is that the four of us are 20 points behind most of the teams in this league at this moment in time.

"That is the concern and it's what we're all struggling to put right.

"All we can do is try to get the best out of the squad and keep improving, and I think that will be right across the four regions really.

"There's not much between us but the major challenge for Welsh rugby is closing the gap on the teams above us.

"Just look at the facts: when we play teams outside of Wales we've all struggled. It's not my opinion, it's factual.

"You can only deal with the cards you've got. I know what I've got here and we just have to try and improve, make the best of it. I think the three other coaches feel the same.

"The facts will bear themselves out. It's hard for us to compete on a regular basis with teams from other countries. I'm not getting involved in the funding issues or anything like that but it's just factual.

"It seems like they are continually trying to move forward, where we are continually trying to hold onto their coat tails and keep up with them."