The Dragons defence chief was disappointed with the Men of Gwent’s ‘steel’ during last season.
But he has turned to ferocious live contact seasons and mixed martial arts in an attempt to give the Rodney Parade outfit a new edge.
“As a defence coach I wanted to bring a hunger back to the team, something I think that we lacked at times last season,” said Appleyard.
“Our pre-season has been about physical fitness but also about getting tougher mentally and having that desire.
“We have been ferocious in training with live contact; you have to be careful because of injuries but you also need to practice what you are going in games.
“It’s about channelling that aggression and working towards something that could be a game-changing moment whether it’s winning a turnover or stopping their main ball carrier.”
The Dragons already boast one of the most devastating tacklers in the game in Wales back-row star Dan Lydiate.
Lydiate’s trademark ‘chop-tackle’ was a major feature of the Welsh Grand Slam – with the farmer’s son named RBS Player of the Championship – and the recent summer tour of Australia.
And Appleyard wants the whole Dragons squad to demonstrate the same desire in defence.
“Tackling below the waist is a hard, technical drill to practice because it hurts both the tackler and the carrier,” added the former flanker.
“We have seen that the boys are then braver to get lower when we are in the live sessions, purely through repetition of the technique on the tyre without getting injuries.
“There are so many transferable skills from MMA and we have been putting them into rugby specific drills.
“We’ve been doing a lot of pad work, some ‘ground and pound’, wrestling; anything that brings something exciting into what is a long pre-season.”
The Men of Gwent have been given a week off their pre-season preparations ahead of the RaboDirect PRO12 opener against new Italian opponents Zebre.
And Appleyard expects a tough test against the league debutants.
“Every team is working hard at this time of year and we won’t come up against a single unfit team this season,” said Appleyard.
“But what I want to see is a mental toughness and hard edge. It’s the old fight-or-flight response and this time of year is crucial if we are to toughen up.
“To be fair there has been a change of mindset with the players driving that.
“We have raised the bar so far this pre-season… but the intensity will go up when the players are back for the second block next week.”
