We don’t want to be underdogs – Owen

Nov 15 2007 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

MICHAEL OWEN wants the Dragons to shed their tag of European underdogs – starting this weekend when they face London Irish at Rodney Parade.

Friday’s agonising Heineken Cup defeat at the hands of Perpignan has already made one or two of European rugby’s big guns sit up and take note.

What’s more, as the countdown begins to Saturday’s pool game against the Exiles, the region has, for the first time in a long time, been installed as slight favourites.

The bookies’ decision is based on the general resurgence at Rodney Parade which has seen the Dragons share the spoils with Wasps and lose narrowly to Newcastle and Perpignan over the past three weekends.

After so much doom and gloom in recent times, it’s certainly a flattering position in which to be. However, for Owen and coach Paul Turner, now’s the time to live up to their billing and to show the rest of Europe that the Dragons are no longer making up the numbers.

Owen said, “I suppose for a long time it suited us to be underdogs because we played better when others had written us off.

“However, we don’t want that tag anymore. Underdogs invariably lose and we don’t want to find ourselves in that position.

“It’s flattering to learn that we are slight favourites for the weekend, but if that’s the case, then we need to be in there winning games like this.

“If we don’t we will almost certainly go out of the competition and will definitely regain that unwanted tag.”

For Turner, who has helped to transform the fortunes of a side who, last season, were clearly not up to the task, there can be no more near misses. Getting close, as he rightly points out, is nothing more than a second best consolation.

The Dragons must now kick on, win their remaining games in the pool, and take their place in the quarter-finals.

It sounds straightforward, but for a side who are understandably short on confidence and victories, beating anyone at this level is a tough ask.

“Last season we were probably quite glad to have missed out on the top tier of European rugby. After all, it was important for us to qualify for the Heineken Cup this season by finishing well in the Magners League.

“Yes, we had to go through a play-off game again, but now we are here, it’s about making the most of our opportunities.

“We can’t keep saying that we did well but lost. That won’t get us anywhere. We have to make sure that when we get into a position of strength against these good sides, that we push on and get the win.

“In defence of the players, this side would have been stuffed by Perpignan two seasons ago, especially had we have trailed 23-12 as we did in the second half last week.

“But there is no way this side will capitulate like that. They have plenty of spirit and commitment and that’s half the battle. Now, we have to get some real quality into certain areas of our game and make sure we control the ball a little better than we did in the final few minutes last weekend. Had we have done, we would almost certainly have won the game.”

Owen’s individual performance at Stade Aime Giral last weekend was outstanding and his inclusion in the Wales squad to face South Africa next weekend, was fully justified.

For some it might have been something of a surprise to see Owen shifted back into the second row, having played almost all of his rugby over the past 12 months in the back row.

But for the utility forward, whose ability to use those all too easily forgotten skills to rise above the mediocrity of those around him, it doesn’t matter where he plays – for region or country.

“I’ve said it before, if someone hands me that jersey, it doesn’t matter whether it has one or 15 printed on the back. I just want to play for Wales and do my best for Wales.

“It was a boyhood dream which I realised back in South Africa under Steve Hansen and I would love to regain my place and experience the feeling again.

“Yes, I enjoyed playing in the second row last weekend, but it wouldn’t have mattered where I would have played. I just want to do well.”

The Dragons do have one or two niggling injuries ahead of the weekend game, although Turner has been able to include Wales full-back Kevin Morgan and lock Adam Jones in a party of 25 for the game.

Turner said, “There are one or two problems, but hopefully nothing too much to worry about. The are a good side, strong in defence and well organised.

“We will have to up our game to win, but it’s certainly within our capability.”

Dragons: (from) M Thomas, K Morgan, G Wyatt, R Mustoe, P Emerick, R Gomer-Davies, A Smith, C Sweeney, A Thomas, W Evans, A Williams, A Walker, A Black, H Gustyafson, R Thomas, S Jones, B Daly, L Charteris, A Jones, A Hall, M Owen, C Charvis, J Bearman, J Ringer, R Parks.