Griffiths: It is good to be back

Dragons talisman Ollie Griffiths admitted it was ‘great to be back’ after making his playing return – and immediately targeted double success on home soil.

All-action flanker Griffiths made his first league start since October and chalked up his 50th appearance in the Guinness PRO14 at a windswept Scotstoun Stadium as Dragons were edged out 34-19.

Boss Dean Ryan had held Griffiths back at the start of the year, eager to get the dynamic forward back fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

The 24-year-old was in the thick of the action in Scotland and is now eager to kick in the second half of this campaign.

“It was a tough old game and conditions made it tough, but it was nice to be back out there with the boys,” said Griffiths.

“It’s great to be back playing. I felt fit considering it was my first game back after the time out.

“There is always plenty of running rugby on a pitch like that and the weather can take it out of you. But the body feels good for a first hit out.

“The wind was tough in the first half,” added Griffiths.

“It affected our kicking game and is probably the worst I have seen in a long time.

“It’s a disappointing result but we showed plenty of heart and will take the positives back home for two big games.”

Dragons now face back-to-back home games with Toyota Cheetahs and Benetton Rugby at Rodney Parade.

And Griffiths acknowledged it is a big spell for Ryan’s men as they look to return to winning ways and defend a proud home record.

“It’s always good to be back at Rodney Parade,” he said. “We’ve played well at home this year and we enjoy being there so it will be nice to be back.

“Hopefully we can perform a little bit better than we did in Scotland and get back to winning ways in front of our fans.”

Watch the Dragons when they welcome their South African side Toyota Cheetahs to Rodney Parade on Saturday, February 29 (kick-off 5:15pm). Click HERE to buy your tickets and join us for more top Guinness PRO14 action.