The Region has been boosted by the news that Morgan has recovered from an ankle injury and Luscombe a thumb operation. Both players were playing well before they got injured so it’s a timely return for The Dragons as they have the Munster game followed by three Welsh derbies over the Christmas holidays. Speaking on making his return Luscombe commented,
“It has been a frustrating time for me to be out injured especially as it happened at the start of our Heineken Cup campaign, however, I am delighted to be fit again and available for selection. Training has gone well all week and I cannot wait for the chance to play again and make a valuable contribution to the team. There is tremendous team spirit among the squad with everyone playing for each other and to be a part of that is something very special. We travel to Thomond Park with confidence and having watched from the side lines for the last two months there is no need to hit the panic button as there are only a few areas that are letting us down.”
Rhys Oakley is also welcomed back into the squad following his return from South Africa with the Wales 7s squad who clinched the bowl in the tournaments in Dubai and George. Naturally he brings with him confidence and the added knowledge of playing the Sevens game. After their impressive Heineken Cup debuts last weekend Aled Thomas and Gareth Chapman keep their places in the squad. The match may have been a learning curve for both players but there is little doubt that both youngsters and wing Richard Fussell impressed and are rewarded for their performances with places in the squad.
“It was a great experience to play with and against British Lions and current international players last weekend and it was thoroughly enjoyable,” commented Aled Thomas. “I learned that it is important to keep your composure in such a big game and to keep your temperament and if you do the simple things right and well then the rest usually takes care of itself. I learned a lot from the way Munster dictated the game and kept the ball with O’Gara keeping the pressure on by kicking to the corners. I can’t wait to be involved this weekend, I have never played at Thomond Park and with a capacity crowd there will be a completely different atmosphere to last weekend and their fanatical supporters will no doubt be on our backs! However, we feel that the squad is strong enough to bounce back and we are not going there to make the numbers up but to hopefully shock a few people. There is a tremendous team spirit and we have a strong squad with a strong bond between players and with good camaraderie with no one wanting to let their team mates down. We need to get the ball and if we do that then we will be alright. The coaches feel we are moving forward and if we put the small things in place, big things will follow.”
The Dragons Heineken Cup campaign has not been helped with a number of injuries to the squad, however, they are looking forward to the trip to Munster on the weekend and are confident they can make a contribution to the final outcome of the group.
“We are certainly looking forward to visiting Thomond Park on Saturday,” commented Head Coach Paul Turner. “It is a great place to play, even if it promises to be a steep learning curve for a lot of the club players who have had to play their part in the tournament because of our injuries. However, The Dragons have won at Thomond Park (6-16) the season before last so while we are aware of the fact that no-one has beaten them on their home patch in the Heineken Cup we have been there before and left with a result. We are trying to develop our youngsters and I was delighted with the way everyone stuck at it against Munster last weekend. They were a bit too street-wise for us in the contact area and we made a lot of basic errors. But I was proud of the way we competed and stuck at it.”
After the weekend’s game The Dragons go into three Celtic League games against the other Welsh Regions providing supporters with a wealth of rugby action over the festive period. First up are the Scarlets at home (23rd December) followed by the Blues (27th December) at Cardiff before 2006 is opened with a home match against the Ospreys on New Years day.
“The Welsh derbies again will be a massive challenge for the squad,” continued Paul, “and Saturday’s game is a launch pad into those games. The other Regions have been playing some good, entertaining rugby and supporters are set for a treat over the Christmas period. There is always the added rivalry between all the Regions and there is no doubt it will be a tough challenge for us especially as the sides and players all know each other well. There is no doubt the bar will be raised by all sides over the festive period and there will be few pleasantries exchanged on the field. I hope that supporters will come in their thousands for these games and put the atmosphere right up there and create a hostile environment for the opposition as that is always worth a few extra points!"
The Dragons will announce their team tomorrow (Friday) morning.
