Landmark result comes at a cost for Dragons as Paea goes under knife

Dragons centre Fetuli Paea is set for a spell on the sidelines after fracturing his arm in round two of the United Rugby Championship against the Sharks.

The 31-year-old Tonga international was instrumental in the Dragons’ 17-17 draw with the Sharks at Rodney Parade, where they ended an 18-match losing streak, wreaking havoc on the defence and assisting Angus O’Brien’s first-half try – a try he probably could have finished himself.

Paea was a summer signing from Zebre, but will now be sidelined for an indeterminate period of time after undergoing surgery on his arm on Wednesday.

Ahead of the Dragons’ URC clash with Glasgow Warriors, defence coach Dale MacLeod addressed the injury, saying: “Fetuli has had his operation and that was successful.

“There is no timeframe on his return, some of them can vary and we won’t get too caught up on when he’s back. When he’s back, he’s back.

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“It’s a shame because he was very good (against Sharks), he carried strong, defended strong, and he’s fitted in very well.

“He will now have the full support of the medical and S&C team at Dragons RFC as he goes through that process.”

Elsewhere, MacLeod provided updates on Wales internationals Thomas Young and Elliot Dee.

“Thomas is training well and is not far off,” he said. “When you have a leg injury like this you don’t want to come back too early. He’s running and we’ll stick to a plan with him as he is vital,” he said.

“Elliot is rehabbing, and we’re looking to get him back into work. We will see how he goes over the next couple of weeks.

“They are both vital around the group with that experience, we have a lot of young lads, so they are adding value. They are positive about when they are coming back.”