Dragons up for the fight at Bulls in URC
The Rodney Parade club finish the campaign on Saturday when they face a Bulls side who are aiming to seal second seeding for the United Rugby Championship play-offs.
The Dragons have lost 16 on the spin in the league since they stunned the Ospreys on opening weekend and last Saturday they were hammered 48-12 by the Stormers in Cape Town.
The scoreline didn't tell the whole story and it was just 7-0 approaching half-time and then 29-12 in the closing stages before a three-try burst by the South Africans.
The Bulls are a better team than the Stormers and Filo Tiatia's men will have to dig deep in Pretoria, which the skipper believes they will do.
'There's no question with the boys that we'll always fight,' said Wales lock Carter.
'There were large parts of that game where the dig-in and the fight was really impressive and no doubt we'll be in there next week to give it our all.
'The physical aspect of the game is something we knew we'd have to get after and for large parts of the game I thought it was really good.'
The Dragons were put under the pump at the scrum and Wales number eight Aaron Wainwright, who showed his Test power when crossing for a try, knows there are plenty of areas for improvement.
'Stormers are full of internationals and good athletes so we knew it was going to be a tough test,' said the back rower.
'We need to work on some small details to keep us in the game; penalties, dropped balls, missed tackles here and there that allow teams to creep into the game.
'Once they get the scoreboard ticking over like the Stormers did today it's tough to come back from.'
The Dragons will have to assess the extent of flanker Dan Lydiate's injury after the former Wales and Lions international, who is retiring from playing after this weekend, copped a heavy blow when carrying in the first half in Cape Town.
The Rodney Parade club are not blessed with plenty of options in the back row and were already fielding Lydiate, a blindside by trade, at openside.
His departure led to Ryan Woodman going from lock to his natural position alongside Shane Lewis-Hughes and Wainwright.
That would be the most likely trio in Pretoria if Lydiate doesn't get the green light, with Wales Under-20s international Evan Minto a member of the touring party and a candidate for the bench.
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It was the realisation that everything I ever wanted in my life has come to an end. "I remember having a panic attack in training whilst I was on the bike. "I was suffering so badly with anxiety that I was getting physical symptoms, which led to me believing I had a chronic illness. "From the March I was having constant panic attacks, I couldn't leave Newport, couldn't leave the country. "I didn't understand it at the time but now I can see that it was the impact of losing my contract - spending my entire life trying to pursue one dream, that coming to an end, and having to start again. I had to figure out who I was without rugby, it was like being stripped of my identity. "It took me a while to reach out and get help. For seven months I was waking up depressed, anxious, having physical symptoms every single day, I was in panic that I was going to die. It was mental." 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I've heard people who have never been rugby players, saying 'what's there to moan about, get a real job' but unless you're someone earning stupid money, it is not the lifestyle people think it is. "Yes ok, the hours are good, but a lot of players are definitely not earning the money people think they are, and you are breaking your body in process. "There are also not many other jobs where you are worrying about whether you'll be employed in a few months time. It is such a stressful and anxious environment, that you don't understand unless you've been in it. "You are so worried about the future, that you can't live in the present." Lennon Greggains, left, with Cerith Lloyd, right, after a game for Merthyr. For many players like Greggains, the initial thrill of being seen as a talented up-and-coming youngster soon wears off, especially after so many injuries, which are inevitable in the sport. As much as players need the talent and ambition, they also need luck. 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It's a lot. "You're conditioned for that lifestyle, the boys you've grown up with are your family, and at the end of the day whether people understand it or not, being told 'that's it, you are done, go fend for yourself' is a really hard thing to take, especially in your mid 20s. "At that age, your non-rugby mates are on their own journey, they've found the job they like, progressing in that job, but you are back to square one. Greggains worked as a labourer alongside his teammate Benjamin Fry. He took this role as his confidence was at an all-time low, and he didn't believe he could do what he truly wanted to, which was to become a personal trainer. Lennon and Ben Fry "By the time I left the Dragons, I was a complete shadow of the person I was when I was 20. Between the ages of 20 and 24, I lost myself completely. "When rugby was taken away from me, and I had to go find a job. Even though I always knew I'd love to be a coach, I didn't have the confidence to do it. "So now I've left the dragons, taken on a carpentry apprenticeship and from the minute I walked through the door I knew it wasn't for me. "I've gone from being a professional rugby player with aspirations of representing my country, to sweeping someone's work bench and cleaning skips. "I genuinely believed this was what I'd be doing for the rest of my life. "Now I am out the other side, I am glad it happened to me in the way it did." Lennon competing in the Cardiff Hyrox 2025 with his friend and client. Greggains managed to better his mental health through his devotion to fitness and focussing on himself. This led him to the path that he is on today. Article continues below He now plays semi-professional rugby for Merthyr, alongside running his own personal training business, LG Coaching - a job he loves - using his own experiences to help people, and other aspiring young rugby players. You can find Lennon on Facebook and Instagram, @LG Coaching.
