Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

What Dean Ryan's starting Dragons XV might look like next season

Elliott Dee

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

Video Spacer

The Dragons Lair went behind the scenes in 2017…

Video Spacer

The Dragons Lair went behind the scenes in 2017…

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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

ADVERTISEMENT

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

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

A
AM 41 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

72 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'We just haven't got big people like South Africa': Ex-captain on new All Blacks 'We just haven't got big people like South Africa': Ex-All Black
Search