Young back row duo Ben Fry and Lennon Greggains have been praised for their impact in the tour opener with Vodacom Bulls.
Fry started the game at Loftus Versfled Stadium and shone with a typically abrasive display in a physical encounter with the South African giants.
Greggains was straight up to pace as he replaced Ollie Griffiths early in the second half – for his first appearance since December 2020.
"Ben (Fry) was outstanding in a game that was incredibly physical, and Lennon (Greggains) came on earlier than we expected,” said Dan Ryan. “They are at different stages, even though they are similar ages.
“Lennon, through injury, has missed a lot of rugby over the last two years and he is somebody that we want to integrate with some control.
“Ben was very good for us at the end of last season and was competitive coming into this year until a knee injury.
“He has bounced back exactly where we want him and is starting to make some noises in that selection, irrespective of who is around.
“We are really pleased with where he is and that raises the bar for some of our more experienced players.
“Ben's commitment to physicality is enormous and needs to build robustness, but he is growing in confidence in terms of what he can bring to a game.”
Ryan has described Greggains as “a real talent” but acknowledges he needs to manage his return after lengthy spells out for the former Wales Under-20 ace.
“It's a difficult time to lose parts of your development around the age of 20 or 21 because that's the time when you can take the most risks and have the most fun, from now on you get scrutinised,” added the Director of Dragons Rugby.
“How we keep him learning when he has missed that is something we want to keep an eye on.
“I am really excited about Lennon as he matures because he has good influence and a lot of growth as a player.”
Ben's commitment to physicality is enormous and needs to build robustness, but he is growing in confidence in terms of what he can bring to a game...
