A genuinely 'Possible Dragons XV' to breathe fire in the Pro14 next season
There’s something brewing in Newport.
Dragons head coach Bernard Jackman is building a team ahead of the 2018/19 season that could potentially rival the best in the Pro14. That squad was bolstered today with news that Wales hooker Richard Hibbard will also join at the end of the current season from Gloucester.
The Dragons recruitment drive, buoyed by new financial clout care of the WRU and private investment, means they can now for the first time in a long time, talk about competing at the top end of the table and not the bottom.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a theoretical XV that the Dragons could field next season. Yes, some big names would have to sign and some contracts would have to be bought out, but it makes for an impressive side.
15 Jordan Williams
It isn’t hard to see why the Dragons were so eager to sign highly-rated Williams, who could face a battle with Springbok veteran Zane Kirchner.
14 Hallam Amos
The winger who’s studying medicine in Cardiff was Wales first choice winger during the November Tests and showed his surgical skills on the wing, scoring tries against Australia and Georgia.
13 George North
Increasingly used by Saints as an option at centre, if the Welsh superstar were lured to the region and he could potentially form a sizeable midfield partnership with Jack Dixon on his inside.
12 Jack Dixon
Maybe not quite a household name just yet, in 2011 the 6’2, 105kg Dixon became the youngest player to ever play professionally for the Dragons at the age of just 16 years and 313 days. The Dragons also boast a number of other centre options including former Northampton Saints centre Pat Howard (an SA project player) and Carmarthen born Adam Warren.
11 Ashton Hewitt
Maybe the standout back this season, the 23-year-old Hewitt brings a lethal mix of footwork, pace and power.
10 Gavin Henson
Set to agree terms on another year at the region, veteran pivot Henson has proved invaluable for the Dragons and is departing knowledge to up and coming flyhalf Angus O’Brien. Some hold out hope that may even one day play for Wales again.
9 Rhodri Williams
Having signed from Bristol, the livewire scrumhalf will have had two high scoring seasons at Bristol under his belt before returning to Wales where he will hope to add to his three Welsh caps.
8 Toby Faletau
If the Dragons can buy the British and Irish Lion Number 8 out of his two year contract at Bath, he would represent probably the biggest signing in the club’s history. Hard to quantify just how big a coup his return to Rodney Parade would be.
7 Oliver Griffiths
The former Welsh U20s captain, Griffiths has already captained the region and is being talked about in glowing terms. Dragons could just as easily deploy the hugely efficient and effective James Benjamin in his place, as he has just signed a three year deal.
6 Ross Moriarty
A huge statement of intent was made when the Jackman secured the signing of the former British and Irish Lions bruiser. Will provide much of the hard nose Jackman is so desperate to imbue his pack with.
5 Cory Hill
Capped eight times for Wales, Hill made his international debut last year and was vice-captain of this year’s summer tour before the Lions came calling in July.
4 Luke Charteris
Another player that could potentially be bought out of his Bath contract, the 6’9, 125kg giant is one of the best lineout locks in Europe and would add size, experience and huge rugby IQ to the team. Has an able apprentice in 6’6, 116kg Matthew Screech.
3 Leon Brown
The 6’3, 126kg Brown made his debut for Wales this November and is fast becoming the cornerstone of Jackman’s pack. Will however have to fight it out with the sizeable Lloyd Fairbrother and Sam Hobbs on the tighthead side.
2 Richard Hibbard
Will have a battle on his hands with young Welsh hooker Elliot Dee, Hibbard brings a shock of blonde hair and masses of ball carrying endevour and road miles to boot.
1 Ryan Bevington
The former Opsreys loosehead joins from Bristol and will be hopeful of adding to his 15 Welsh caps. Will have to contend with Brok Harris and several other young props looking to make their name at the region.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
2 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments