Saturday’s home loss to Northampton ended the Dragons’ chances of progress in Anglo-Welsh competition, although even a bonus point victory would not have been enough to see them stay alive after Pool 1 leaders Saracens maintained their 100 per cent record with one round remaining.
And with their Amlin Challenge Cup campaign ending without a place in the knockout stages thanks to Bath’s fine European form, the Dragons’ sole focus is on an impressive finish to the RaboDirect PRO12 season.
Things have been going well overall in that regard, with the Dragons winning five of their 12 games to date, just one short of their total number of successes last season. Lyn Jones has seen his side lose three of their last four league fixtures, though, and Evans knows that they need some momentum from Friday to kick on against Edinburgh in a week-and-a-half’s time.
“It’s an important game and we are focused on going back into the Rabo in good form,” Evans, who echoed his coach’s sentiments that the setpiece needs immediate improvement from last weekend, told the South Wales Argus.
“I think Lyn (Jones) had two teams planned for the LV= Cup so he will be giving other boys a go and there are certain positions where he doesn’t know who is strongest.
“It is a trial double-header – some fronted up against Northampton and others didn’t. The ball is in Lyn’s court and those that play against Newcastle have a good opportunity to impress.
“Newcastle are no mugs and it will be a real challenge up there. They will want to take some form into the Aviva Premiership. They will come out all guns blazing on their own patch so we have got to put in a solid performance and tighten up our set piece, because at the moment it is very ropy.”
The Dragons currently sit sixth in the PRO12 table, a point clear of the seventh-placed Scarlets and two ahead of the ninth-placed Blues.
They are nine points adrift of Glasgow in fifth, though, so face a big battle if they are to break into the top four and secure a first knockout spot since the league brought in the play-off programme in the 2009/10 campaign.
Evans and co have four PRO12 games in February, with home ties against the two Scottish sides and a brace of trips to Ireland to face second-placed Leinster and fourth-placed Ulster.
