Rio Dyer’s powerful finish for his seventh international try in 22 tests in Melbourne only told half the story about the Dragons RFC wing’s impressive numbers over the past year.
Nobody has played more games or more minutes for Wales in the past year with 12 starts in 15 games – and a full 80 minutes against the Barbarians.
Add in 14 appearances for the Dragons and the wing has racked up 30 matches in 12 months and played 2,211 minutes of rugby. That equates to 18 hours and 11 minutes in a Wales jersey and a further 18 hours and 40 minutes for his club.
“It has been a very long season for a lot of us and probably feels as if it has been two seasons in one,” said the 24-year-old Dyer.
“A lot of us haven’t really had too much time off and played week in, week out. Even though we have been non-stop, you can see the boys have given 100% and that just shows what sort of team we are.”
There is still one game to go on the Wales tour in Australia, against a Queensland XV on Friday, but Wales head coach might be able to give Dyer a break with Regan Grace, Josh Hathaway, Liam Williams and Mason Grady able to cover the wing positions.
“It was frustrating for a lot of us after the result in Sydney. We were in the game at 60 minutes and then let go of it,” admitted Dyer after the 36-28 defeat in the second test in Melbourne.
“It is the same things happening. For the last two weeks we have been working hard, non-stop in training.
“We wanted it, to make history as a team and go back to Wales with a win but annoyingly we haven’t got it. Even though we haven’t got the results in the last two weeks, some of the stuff we have put together has been good.
“If we can put an 80-minute performance together, keep our discipline and not give away easy tries, we would have been able to get the two wins comfortably and prove to others we will be a very good team.”
We wanted it, to make history as a team and go back to Wales with a win but annoyingly we haven’t got it. Even though we haven’t got the results in the last two weeks, some of the stuff we have put together has been good...
