Dragons' injury crisis deepens

The recurrence of young Phil Price’s knee problem during the first half of Friday night’s Heineken Cup clash against Glasgow, leaving him on crutches after the game, means the Dragons have only two fully fit props left.

They already had Ben Castle ruled out until the new year with a torn bicep before he had even played a competitive match for them, and last week he was joined by Ali McKenzie and Nigel Hall, both of whom could be out for some time with hand and shoulder injuries respectively.

The Dragons had already drafted in Irishman Peter Bracken from playing amateur rugby for Galwegians, though a former Heineken Cup medal-winner with Wasps, to help fill the breach.

But the catalogue of injuries leaves them with Bracken and Hugh Gustafson as the only fit props in the squad, for Gethin Robinson needed an injection in his shoulder to even sit on the bench against Glasgow.

“We saw another prop injured again (Price) and he will be out for quite a time so the alarm bells are ringing again,” said coach Paul Turner after the 22-14 victory against Glasgow.

The Dragons, who face a crucial Magners League game against the Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets on Friday night, will be able to bring yet more replacements in for that competition.

Turner and manager Robert Beale will begin another urgent search today, with Turner favouring one to be a time-server (qualifier on residence) knowing another would have to be Welsh – and then there is the question of all these props having to be paid, whether they are injured or not.

But for Europe the problem really could be critical, for once that squad has been finalised prior to the first game it can’t be changed during the pool stages, and under new rules if passive scrums are forced the side has to go down to 14 men in a change designed to stop abuses.

So the Dragons could be in deep trouble when they face back-to-back Heineken Cup-ties against Biarritz in December, especially after the French aces sank Gloucester 42-15 on Saturday, electrifying winger Takudzwa Ngwenya romping over for a hat trick of tries.

That result enabled the Dragons to overtake Gloucester and move into second place in their group after their opening two games and on target for at least a place in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals, which could be their reward under another new rule if they finish runners-up.

Their position could have been even better had they secured a bonus point in their victory over Glasgow.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, we had the opportunity to get the bonus point and once or twice it was easier not to score,” admitted Turner.

“I’m happy with the win, but we should have put it away, we left a bonus point on the table. But against a good Glasgow side our set piece was good and our defence was admirable, though we did get on the wrong side of the referee again.”

Acting captain Luke Charteris was upbeat, saying: “We kept ourselves alive and we’re right in this pool. We can go to Biarritz confident, we’ll hope to get something there and bring them back here and win, that’s the plan.”

Charteris and young tyro Dan Lydiate must have impressed watching Wales coach Warren Gatland as he prepares to name his squad for the autumn internationals next Sunday – after watching the Scarlets-Dragons clash which has been given added impetus after the Scarlets’ shock away win against London Irish on Saturday.

Lydiate said: “We knew it would be a dogfight against Glasgow, but we deserved the win, we made a couple of mistakes and some decisions didn’t go our way, but we’re happy and we’d have taken it.

“It’s still early days and it’s always tough going to France but we’ll take confidence from this. There must be something in the water about our props!”

On their Wales chances, Charteris admitted: “I want to be in the autumn squad and if I keep playing well I hope to be involved,” while Lydiate said: “I’m just enjoying playing for the Dragons, anything else will look after itself.”