Former Dragons head coach Paul Turner is envious of the riches Dean Ryan has at his disposal at Rodney Parade and believes the Gwent region can win at the Liberty Stadium for the first time in a decade.
Professional rugby in Wales will make its long awaited comeback this weekend after five months’ hibernation caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Scarlets host the Cardiff Blues on Saturday and before the Dragons face the Ospreys on Sunday with viewers able to catch all the action in full delayed coverage on S4C.
Much of the excitement will focus around the Dragons, who have recruited aggressively with Wales internationals Jamie Roberts, Nick Tompkins and Jonah Holmes all coming on board.
For Turner, it means he believes they have what it takes to beat an Ospreys side under new management.
“I think the Dragons have a fantastic chance of going down to the Liberty Stadium and getting a victory,” said Turner, who was in charge of the region for six years until 2011.
“There won’t be any home advantage behind closed doors because the referee won’t be influenced by the crowd.
“I like (Ospreys coach) Toby Booth – he’s a good bloke and a very good coach but maybe this is the best chance to face the Ospreys who won’t have played any competitive rugby under Toby, yet.
“When I was coach of the Dragons we used to train either in the car park or the field behind Rodney Parade, whereas now they’ve got a state of the art facility in Ystrad Mynach.
“We were paupers back then as our budget was about £2m less than the nearest Welsh region, but we made the best of what we had.
“There’s pressure on Dean Ryan to get things right given the quality of player he’s signed but I am very optimistic that he can do something special.
“He’s recruited really well and the likes of Jamie Roberts, Nick Tompkins and Jonah Holmes will boost the quality in their squad.
“Personally, I think Joe Maksymiw is a big signing for them. I tracked him through the Wales Exiles programme for a while and he’s the big, abrasive and no-nonsense lock they need, plus he’ll likely be available throughout the season.”
Turner is also enthused by the quality of young player coming through the Dragons academy and insists if they can retain the majority of their talent they will be a rising force to be reckoned with.
He added: “When I was coaching the Dragons we produced a lot of quality players but more often than not they were cherry-picked by clubs in England or other Welsh regions.
“If you look at the calibre of player they currently have there, it is very exciting because they have more means to retain their talent.
“Ollie Griffiths is a wonderful player and if he stays fit he can be one of the best opensides on the international circuit.
“Taine Basham is also a phenomenal prospect, while Leon Brown and Harrison Keddie are also very promising.
“Sam Davies is a huge player for them and they need to keep hold of him because prior to his arrival they lacked a top class No.10.
“The scrum-half, Rhodri Williams, is also an outstanding captain and leader while Ross Moriarty has found a new lease of life playing under Dean Ryan.
“They have really solid foundations and I’m hopeful they can go from strength to strength.
“The only weakness might be their strength in depth because next season they are back in the Champions Cup for the first time in donkeys’ years.
“That’s going to be really taxing on the squad especially given the amount of international rugby to be played next season.”
Turner, who now coaches English Championship outfit Ampthill, was the last Dragons coach to taste victory in Swansea when his unfancied team won 21-16 in 2010.
The former Wales outside-half still has fond memories of his time in Newport.
“We had a knack of beating the Ospreys during my time as coach.
“There was one game at Rodney Parade during their Galacticos period where they had the likes of Marty Holah, Ryan Jones, Dan Biggar and Mike Phillips starting.
“I remember before the game Dan – who was just a kid then – started mouthing off about our playmaker, Jason Tovey.
“If the game was played on paper we wouldn’t have stood a chance, but we really got under their skin and played them off the park.
“We also beat them at the Liberty Stadium the following season where a young Taulupe Faletau scored a sensational try.
“Those really were great days and hopefully we’ll see more of the same this weekend.”
S4C – Saturday – 8.00pm: Clwb Rygbi – Scarlets v Cardiff Blues
Guinness PRO14 rugby is back and here is a chance to enjoy all 80 minutes of the derby match between Scarlets and Cardiff Blues, played at Parc y Scarlets.
S4C – Sunday, 9.00pm: Clwb Rygbi – Ospreys v Dragons
Join the Clwb Rygbi team at the Liberty Stadium for a full broadcast of the Guinness PRO14 derby match between the Ospreys and the Dragons.
