Co-captain Ben Carter admits he is ‘really enjoying playing my rugby’ as he prepares for his return with the Men of Gwent.
Carter enjoyed an impressive Six Nations with Wales as he started the final three games of the tournament and was a key figure as Steve Tandy’s team defeated Italy in the final round.
The lock and team-mate Aarin Wainwright have joined back up with Dragons this week, jetting out ahead of the BKT United Rugby Championship clash with Fidelity SecureDrive Lions in Johannesburg.
And Carter has spoken of his excitement as he returns to camp ahead of a big end to the season for the club.
“Excited to be back,” he said. “I thought the boys put in good performance last week, and I’m enjoying being back around the group and looking forward to playing.
“I love being able to play consistently and this season it hasn’t been too interrupted, which has been good.
“I enjoyed the Six Nations and feel refreshed coming back into this environment.
“I’ve loved getting back around the boys, catching up with them, and I'm looking forward to being able to play with them again.”
On the upcoming game he added: “We know that altitude (in Johannesburg) is going to be a factor - it's going to be tough.
“This group likes working hard and relishes that opportunity. We won’t be too worried about that. We've had a good training week and team run on Friday.
“The group's full of confidence and looking forward to the challenge.
“There was a lot of good to the Stormers game. But we also picked up a few things we’d like to improve. We want to keep building.
“Lions are good when the game gets loose and they have got some good athletes.
“But most of the focus this week has been on us, making sure we bring the game that we'd like to bring.”
Reflecting on his time away with Wales, Carter said: “I really enjoyed it and I got more opportunities than I had done in the past.
“I know results weren't what we wanted, the win against Italy was obviously a highlight, but I enjoyed the camp. I’m just really enjoying playing my rugby at the moment.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the action in South Africa, Carter has heaped praise on team-mate Brodie Coghlan as he prepares for his 50th game for Dragons RFC.
The duo are long-term team-mates and friends after coming through the age grades together and Carter’s admiration for Coghlan is clear.
“I’m chuffed for him - it seems to have gone really quickly,” said Carter. “I’ve played with Brodie since we were 16, played against him when we were even younger for clubs.
“I absolutely love him and playing alongside him. He's proper professional and gives absolutely everything when he plays.
“I'm sure he'll be right up for it. Everyone in the squad shares that view of Brodie. He’s a legend.”
I love being able to play consistently and this season it hasn’t been too interrupted, which has been good...
