THE Dragons hope Wales lock Will Rowlands can enjoy a Judgement Day farewell after the shoulder injury that has ruled him out of the Six Nations.
The 31-year-old is currently sidelined after a blow suffered playing against Argentina in November and is targeting a return in April.
Rowlands has confirmed that he is leaving the Dragons at the end of this season – with a move to Racing 92 mooted – and he faces a race to play for the club again after surgery.
“Hopefully I will be involved back in rugby in April time,” Rowlands said while working as a pundit for BBC Scrum V at his side’s Boxing Day derby loss to Cardiff.
Unless the Dragons make the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup, they have just two games in April - away to Ulster on Friday, April 14 and the Judgement Day clash with the Scarlets at Principality Stadium.
Rowlands has played 16 games for the club since arriving from Wasps in the summer of 2021 and head coach Dai Flanagan hopes his captain can add to that tally.
“We’d love to see him in a Dragons jersey again, even if it’s only for a send-off game,” said Flanagan.
“He has been great since he has been here and is one of the best if not the best second rows in the world, so why not get him back for a game?”
The Dragons are without Rowlands and his fellow Wales international Ben Carter, who is set to be out until February because of an ankle injury.
George Nott made a welcome return from a finger injury against Cardiff on Boxing Day and Flanagan is confident that he still has a strong second row.
“George was excellent in his first game back, he ran the lineout and put pressure on Cardiff while his work rate around the field was great,” said the head coach.
“He has been a quality signing and the same goes for Sean Lonsdale while we’ve also got Joe Davies and Matthew Screech, plus Huw Taylor has been excellent when he has stepped forward from the back row, so we are fine in that area.
“We’ve rotated the squad because we need players to be comfortable at this level when they are needed. It’s a long season but these boys are rugby-ready.”
Meanwhile, Rowlands hopes that the injury hasn’t ended his Wales career despite opting to play for a club in another country.
The lock has been capped 23 times so doesn’t have the required 60 to be eligible for Warren Gatland’s squad in World Cup year.
Rowlands would need either the WRU selection policy to change or for the professional clubs and governing body to allow special dispensation.
"I would like to be able to have a chance to be able to be picked to go to the World Cup," said Rowlands. “Hopefully I have left the door open for that."
"The 60-cap rule had to be part of the consideration because essentially leaving Wales now will mean I won't be able to put my hand up to be picked for Wales, which is very sad.
"Playing for Wales means some of the best experiences of my life for sure. But there is more to life, there are more things to go and experience.”
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