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A potential starting Dragons XV next season could include as many 12 capped Wales internationals, after significant signings from head coach Dean Ryan. The former England backrow continues to build on the recruitment drive started by his predecessor Bernard Jackman, and although they’ve lost the services of internationals Cory Hill and Tyler Morgan, the squad depth is continuing to deepen in other positions.
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When the WRU took over in the struggling Newport-based region in 2017, the mission was clear: build a side capable of producing and nurturing Welsh qualified talent for the national team and secondly, to have a union-controlled Welsh-based PRO14 side that could facilitate the repatriation of Welsh talent playing over the border.
It seems now that after three years, those plans are starting to bear fruit. While over the last decade, the Dragons have produced the likes of Taulupe Faletau, Dan Lydiate and Hallam Amos, the region had typically been viewed as a distant fourth when it came to producing Welsh internationals.
Yet Ryan has a squad brimming with Welsh qualified players across the team and a host of starting players that with international experience. Tellingly, they also promoted seven players from the academy to the senior squad.
They haven’t had it all their own way of course. The loss of Cory Hill in particular is a massive dent to their second-row stocks. The club are also yet to secure an extension for Samoan international Branden Nansen, who is off-contract at the end of the season. Nansen played just three times so far this season.
Against this, the relatively unheralded Connacht lock Joe Maksymiw has also been linked with a move to Gwent. The 6 foot 7 inch 24-year-old is Welsh qualified. With Hill injured for much of the season, the pairing of powerful built Joseph Davies and athletic Matthew Screech, have been Ryan’s go-to locks. There are also high hopes for young Max Williams, a standout at U20s for Wales.
In the centres, Morgan’s loss will also be keenly felt, although should the Dragons secure one or both of the heavily linked duo, Nick Tompkins and Joe Tomane, that would go some way to bolstering their midfield options. Regional veterans Jack Dixon and Adam Warren, as well as the Welsh qualified Tom Griffiths, will also be ready to fight it out for starting berths with any incoming midfield talent.
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Ryan has also hinted that incoming back three option Jonah Holmes could potentially move across to cover 13. With Ashton Hewitt, Jordan Williams, Jared Rosser, Rio Dyer, Owen Jenkins, Will Talbot-Davies and Dafydd Howells on call for Ryan in the back three, Holmes moving to the centre won’t leave them wanting out wide.
Backrow is an area of huge strength for the Dragons. Taine Basham, who has only just been promoted from the academy ahead of next season despite playing 17 games in the current campaign, is being mooted as a future Test player. Ollie Griffiths, Huw Taylor, Harrison Keddie, veteran Lewis Evans and British and Irish Lion Ross Moriarty mean Ryan has firepower at his disposal, no matter what backrow unit he puts out. Aaron Wainwright has been arguably been the region’s most high-profile success, shining at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The Dragons frontrow is also well stocked with Welsh ready players. Josh Reynolds has been a star for them this season, while Aaron Jarvis, hulking Test tighthead Leon Brown, Lloyd Fairbrother, Brok Harris and Ryan Bevington together provide a healthy mix of experience and size. Elliot Dee might be the heir apparent to Welsh Number 2 jersey, with Ellis Shipp nipping at his heels, while the iconic Richard Hibbard continues to set standards at the region, albeit in the autumn of his career. The hooker has reportedly joined Aberavon Quins coaching staff.
Here’s what a Welsh cap heavy Dragons starting XV might look like next season.
A POTENTIAL DRAGONS XV
1 Aaron Jarvis
2 Elliot Dee
3 Leon Brown
4 Joseph Davies
5 Matthew Screech
6 Aaron Wainwright
7 Taine Basham
8 Ross Moriarty
9 Rhodri Williams
10 Sam Davies
11 Ashton Hewitt
12 Joe Tomane
13 Nick Tompkins
14 Jonah Holmes
15 Jordan Williams
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BENCH:
16 Richard Hibbard
17 Josh Reynolds
18 Lloyd Fairbrother
19 Max Williams
20 Huw Taylor
21 Tavis Knoyle
22 Arwel Robson
23 Jared Rosser
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
60 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
60 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
60 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
60 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
60 Go to comments