Dragons make move for Wales-qualified Bath centre Max Clark

The Rodney Parade region are eyeing 26-year-old Clark, who was born in Bridgend to a Welsh mother.

Director of rugby Dean Ryan has also got his sights on Welsh-qualified Exeter lock Sean Lonsdale, formerly of RGC, and Ulster hooker Bradley Roberts, who won his first cap against South Africa in the autumn and needs to play in Wales to remain eligible for international rugby.

The Dragons are looking to boost their midfield and Clark would fit the bill, allowing him to push for Test rugby in red.

The Dragons are eyeing Bath's Max Clark

The centre played for England Under-20s and turned down a place on Wales’ tour to face Tonga and Samoa in 2017 while keeping his international options open.

This season they have picked from Wales hopeful Aneurin Owen, Jack Dixon, Adam Warren and Jamie Roberts.

Cory Allen was signed last summer to continue his recovery from a serious knee injury but is yet to feature, wing Jared Rosser has been trialled as a 13 and Tom Griffiths is on loan at Coventry.

The Dragons have targeted Welsh-qualified signings from England in recent seasons, bringing in Test stars Will Rowlands, Jonah Holmes and Ross Moriarty so that they could add to their caps.

Of the current squad, Welsh heritage was a contributing factor in the signings of Lloyd Fairbrother, Joe Maksymiw, Greg Bateman, Huw Taylor and Tom Griffiths.

Asked about recruitment last week, Ryan said the Dragons have been working to bolster their ranks and that a lack of movement between regions has led them to look to England.

“It's coming along and the appropriate time we will make announcements, but it's challenging to say the least,” said the director of rugby.

“There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of movement [within Wales]. Liam Williams [from the Scarlets to Cardiff] is a deal that was done and I don't think it was ever an opportunity for us as a national 38 player.

“Internal movement doesn’t seem to support our recruitment so we have had to look across the bridge and be smart about people that are potentially Welsh-qualified as a way of supporting the players that are here.”

The regions are still thrashing out their budgets for the next three seasons, negotiating how they will divide payment from the Welsh Rugby Union.

Dragons chairman David Buttress said in December that he hoped there would be clarity in mid-January but the one certainty is that the Rodney Parade amount will be lower than their three rivals.

“We are working towards a figure,” said Ryan. “That figure is not great and we will wait to see what challenges or support we might get over the next couple of months.”