WHAT'S your favourite Dragons back row combination? A tough question and one that Dean Ryan would struggle with after he was unable to settle on one in his first season at the helm.

The director of rugby used 15 different blends in 19 fixtures and only stuck with the same trio three times.

1: Huw Taylor, Taine Basham and Harri Keddie were selected against Leinster in November and kept their spots to face Edinburgh.

2: Basham joined the World Cup duo of Ross Moriarty and Aaron Wainwright to take on Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park on Boxing Day and they went again versus the Ospreys to kick off 2020.

3: What turned out to be the final games of the campaign (surely the final games of the cross-border Guinness PRO14 because of the coronavirus pandemic?) saw Keddie, Basham and Ollie Griffiths goo up against the Cheetahs and Benetton.

It could be argued, certainly before Basham's stunning season, that the strongest trio is Wainwright-Griffiths-Moriarty but Ryan was never able to select them together because of Japan 2019, injury misfortune then the Six Nations.

Only one trio was fielded on three occasions – Taylor-Keddie-Basham – and ten individuals were named in the back row.

South Wales Argus:

Ryan, much like Wales boss Wayne Pivac, is spoilt for choice and such is the quality of the options that it is pretty much impossible to make a mess of the selection.

There is always the possibility of a decision to raise eyebrows – it would be hard to rival former boss Lyn Jones' call of benching Taulupe Faletau for the European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Cardiff Blues when he plumped for James Thomas, James Benjamin and Nick Crosswell – but the Dragons are always going to be able to field a useful back row, even during international periods.

Just as well, because it's likely that there will be a heavy emphasis on Tests when rugby returns with the possibility of Wales playing seven fixtures before the year is out then the usual Six Nations tussles.

That would deprive Ryan of Moriarty and Wainwright, plus hopefully Basham and maybe Griffiths, for long periods.

Yet two up-and-comers will be keen to ensure Ryan still has a weekly dilemma after lacking minutes in 2019/20.

South Wales Argus:

Ben Fry was given just one starting shot – against Enisei-STM in Russia – and two cameos off the bench.

Lennon Greggains spent the entire campaign in rehab after he ruptured knee ligaments in the Celtic Cup loss to Connacht in August.

The 21-year-old flankers have watched jealously while Basham has motored on but they have the talent to find their way into the region's senior 23.

That Fry has only made four Dragons appearances (plus another in the 2018 friendly against Russia) is surprising given the impact that he has made when given a shot.

Combative and aggressive, he seems to relish a confrontation.

Fry has to show that he should be the Moriarty stand-in and must push Lewis Evans and Huw Taylor for that role of unsung grafter.

So far he has had to be content with starts against European minnows Timisoara Saracens and Enisei, scoring on both occasions, and his cameos against Castres and Zebre were only for a quarter of an hour.

The back rower, whose brother is a prop with Gloucester and England Under-20s, can find a niche in roster and has two men who know all about his position to learn from in Ryan and forward coach Luke Narraway.

Fry would also do well to listen, watch and learn from Dragons great Evans, who at 32 is not done yet.

South Wales Argus:

Greggains knew from the moment his leg gave way in Galway that it was going to be a ruined season.

The prospect from Newport has had to settle for putting in the hours in the gym in Ystrad Mynach rather than trying to impress Ryan & Co on the training field.

Those who have seen him come through the ranks are excited by the flanker's promise and with Wales Under-20s he often did the little things excellently while Basham caught the eye with the flashy stuff.

Sadly hitting rucks, running tight lines and being a lineout option at the tail doesn't really make a good YouTube highlights package.

Greggains was the first of the young flankers to get a taste of regional rugby when he came off the bench against Ulster at Ravenhill in September 2017.

All five of his appearances have been as a replacement and a year on the treatment table and bulking up in the gym will have only added to the hunger to pull on a starting jersey.

His luck is in because opportunity surely knocks for the pair in 2020/21 when the Wales contingent are away.

Nic Cudd, recently voted as the Dragons' greatest openside, is out of contract this summer after being given a one-year deal in 2019 while recovering from ruptured knee ligaments.

James Benjamin could well be a regular on the sevens circuit and the Olympics will surely be a carrot for the Dragons' best ball-playing forward to target.

Taylor is a dependable grafter but can be passed in the pecking order while stalwart Evans must be wondering whether a shortage in the second row could lead to him taping up the ears for a move forward again.

Fry and Greggains turn 22 during 2020/21, so this will be the campaign for the prospects to push on and prove they can be pros with the Dragons.