Welsh stars Dan Lydiate and Luke Charteris return to the Dragons squad for Sunday’s game against Heineken Cup champions Leinster, with Charteris taking on the captain’s armband in the absence of Tom Willis.
“It has been really fantastic to see the performances the team has put in whilst I’ve been away and there is a buzz around the camp which I’ve enjoyed getting back into,” said Charteris
“Obviously the wins against Edinburgh and Sale were great results after but even when we lost to Leicester in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the performance was strong and the signs that we are really stepping up this season were there.
“Although Leinster may have rested some of their Irish internationals for this weekend, the Irish provinces have shown that they can afford to lose these players and still put out a very strong team which is why the Irish sides always figure at the top of the league at the end of the season and are always pushing in the Heineken Cup.”
Head Coach Paul Turner said “In typical Charteris-style, when we had a conversation earlier in the week about possibly resting him or starting him on the bench, he was adamant that he wanted to get back on the field and play for the Dragons as soon as possible.
“Tom Willis was always going to be touch-and-go for this weekend Luke has captained the side already this season and is well up to the job.
“We have been reasonably happy with our start to the season, but realise that this next phase is vital leading up to the Six Nations. Of course the performances of individual players and the team as a whole are very important, but equally, it is our supporters who can take a lot of credit for where we are at this point and we need to keep that support if we are going to be successful throughout the season.”
Dragons team for Leinster
Jason Tovey, Aled Brew, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Tom Riley, Richard Fussell, James Arlidge, Wayne Evans, Hugh Gustafson, Steve Jones, Pat Palmer, Rob Sidoli, Luke Charteris (C), Dan Lydiate, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb
Duane Goodfield, Peter Bracken, Hoani MacDonald, Adam Jones, Martyn Thomas, Will Harries, Alex Walker
