Byrne: Europe can kick-start Dragons' season

Dragons put in their performance of the year so far on Saturday, shocking European Challenge Cup favourites Stade Francais 38-22 in the Stade Jean Bouin.

It was a significantly improved performance from their start to the GUINNESS PRO12 campaign, where just one win from their opening six games has seen them slump to ninth in the table.

And the 34-year-old captain is demanding Dragons consolidate the win with another when they host Newcastle on Friday night, and really kick-start their season.

"It's been six or seven weeks of being under pressure and against Stade it finally clicked," said the full-back. "I never won there with Clermont and nights like that don't happen very often.

"I am so pleased for the boys and this can turn things around for us, not just in this competition but in the GUINNESS PRO12 as well.

"We turned it around and the spirit shone through. We have been training hard and things hadn't been coming off for us, but they did against Stade.

"The start of the season has been difficult and nobody gave us a hope in hell of getting anything in Paris but we put in a big performance.

"I am really pleased for the team and the coaching staff because we've come under a lot of pressure, and rightly so because the performances haven't been as good as we know they can be.

"It was all down to heart and now we have to back it up against Newcastle back at Rodney Parade to make sure it's a turning point.

"Winning away at Stade and then losing against Newcastle at home would be unacceptable."

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