It was a good weekend for Lyn Jones and the Newport Gwent Dragons. They furthered their preparations for the 2015/2016 season with a 48 points to 12 victory over a feisty Nottingham team on Friday night at their training base at Ystrad Mynach. On Saturday, the Dragons sevens team got through the Welsh section of the Singha Sevens tournament, held at the Arms Park in Cardiff. Austin Healy named Elliott Frewen, Newport RFC’s consistently excellent winger, as Man of the Tournament. Could this be the breakthrough season for the Dragons?
Ever the bridesmaid but never the bride, the Dragons are under resourced in comparison with the other more fancied regions in Wales, and they have had to live with the rather patronising “4th Region” tag for too long. The story of regional rugby in Gwent has not always been a happy one. Perhaps more than the other three regions, the Dragons have had to battle against the traditional Valley rivalries. Newport’s Rodney Parade was never the favourite venue for the players of Ebbw Vale, Abertillery or Pontypool but it is exactly those clubs that should be providing players for the Dragons and calling the Parade their home. Even the naming of the Dragons was a political hot potato, as it was clear that there was a suspicion in the Gwent valleys that Newport would be taking them over. The prefix of “Newport Gwent” went some way towards alleviating the deep distrust that had built up over generations. It all goes to underline the fact that a sporting heritage can be a stumbling block just as easily as it can be a building block.
It may be that the training centre at Ystrad Mynach up into Gwent Hills is a stroke of diplomatic genius. In moving the Dragon brand away from Rodney Parade, the Dragons are consciously reaching out into the community. On the evidence of last Friday’s training game it seems to be that the move has captured the imaginations of the people. 1300 people turned up to watch what was effectively a training match.
There is no doubting that the region has the talent and Lyn Jones is keen to promote youth. He was proud to point out after the game at one stage in the match Matthew Screech at 22 was the oldest of the tight five forwards on the paddock. With the Dragons providing two of the youngest recipients of the WRU’s Dual Contracts – Hallam Amos and Tyler Morgan – it looks as though things are happening in the Gwent valleys. Last season they finished above the Cardiff Blues in the Pro12 and they managed to put together an excellent cup run in the European Challenge Trophy, ended in the semi final by Edinburgh. It may be that they are unable to keep their number 8, Wales and Lions star Taulupe Falatau, but there are plenty of young players queueing up to take his place. There has been some canny recruitment over the close season, bringing in some older, more experienced players such as South African scrum half Pretorius, Wasps No 8 Ed Jackson and Scarlets centre Adam Warren. Along with the Wales second row Andy Coombs, who is returning from injury, these older heads should allow Lyn Jones to get some balance to his sides as they seek to push ahead.The Dragons are a tightknit unit, well coached and hungry for success. No one should be travelling to Rodney Parade in confidence this season.
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