By Alys Haynes
Steff Hughes branded his final home game as “bittersweet” as the Dragons missed out on another win at Rodney Parade.
The 30-year-old centre paid tribute to the club as his final appearance in Gwent ended with a frustrating 21-31 loss to Benetton Rugby.
Hughes, who joined the club in 2022, is set to leave in November and move to the United States where he will join Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby.
“The love from the crowd was great,” said Hughes.
“I’ve always loved playing here and in front of the home support so I’m really appreciative of that.
“The result is disappointing. There was a lot of good in the game, but we were inaccurate at key times so that’s frustrating. But from a personal perspective, I am privileged to have played here so the ending is bittersweet.
“When you leave the game the only thing you’re left with is the memories and for me the people I’ve spent my time with are the memories that I will always cherish.”
Dragons v Benetton – BKT United Rugby Championship. 19th October 2024. #rugby #rugbyunion #URC #replayimages #welshrugby #BKTURC@dragonsrfc @BenettonRugby pic.twitter.com/JnoV8WRgjq
— Replay Images (@replay_images) October 20, 2024
The Italian visitors, who now sit at eighth in the United Rugby Championship, secured a four-try victory over the host side, leaving the Dragons to mull over a fourth consecutive loss.
There were first tries for the Dragons this season from Joe Westwood, Lloyd Evans and Shane Lewis-Hughes but little else to show from a defeat in which Benetton claimed a bonus-point victory.
Dai Flanagan’s side dominated for spells in the first half but failed to make the most of two clear-cut chances.
They fought hard to stay in the game throughout, but the weakness in their attacking system cost them the home victory.
https://twitter.com/dragonsrfc/status/1847734937308234184
But Hughes shared a positive outlook on the team’s situation despite the loss resulting in a two place drop down the table.
“We are competing against good sides consistently and although things won’t change overnight, they are definitely improving. We just need to get some good results to give us the confidence to keep going.
“The growth in our game is definitely there. We just need to take that next step and be more clinical.”
Reflecting on the team’s growth, head coach Flanagan said: “For all the progress we’ve made, we want results here.
“We want to turn a corner and win a lot more than we did last year but currently we just can’t get what we want.”
“We need to work on our discipline, and we crept up the penalty count a lot, so we need to be much smarter there.
“We must make sure we stay highly functional and as engaged as we can so that we don’t experience the same game blips again.”
Supporting his son on the wing for Benetton, Australian rugby legend Michael Lynagh noted: “It’s nice to be back here in Newport and to watch my son play.
“Luckily they got the win and the bonus point which, coming here, is what they set out to do so I’m sure they will be happy with that.”
The Dragons will travel to Connacht next week to take on the Irish side in week six of the league and hope to change the narrative of their season’s future.
Dragons v Benetton – BKT United Rugby Championship. 19th October 2024. #rugby #rugbyunion #URC #replayimages #welshrugby #BKTURC @dragonsrfc @BenettonRugby pic.twitter.com/xME579Muqb
— Replay Images (@replay_images) October 20, 2024
