Dragons centre Ashley Smith is to captain the Men of Gwent for the second time this season as the Dragons face Munster at Musgrave Park on Sunday (17:05) The 22 year old has also signed a 3-year extension with the region, keeping him at Rodney Parade until 2013.
Smith, who was a graduate of the Dragons Academy, has been with the region since 2005, making his debut in a friendly against Worcester Warriors. At 22 he has played 58 matches for the Dragons and represented Wales at every age-grade level.
“I’m very proud to be captaining the Dragons again this weekend,” he said “I’m a local boy and I have had great opportunities with the region. There is a real buzz around Rodney Parade this season and it’s a good place to be. It’s always an honour to represent your local side and having come through the age-grade and academy setups, I’m confident that my future lies with the Dragons.
“Munster are always going to be a massive challenge. They have a formidable side and with the return of their Irish internationals and of course the debut of Jean de Villiers, they have an impressive team sheet for Sunday’s game, but we are all playing for each other and that counts for a lot.”
Dragons team to face Munster
Martyn Thomas, Aled Brew, Tom Riley, Ashley Smith (Capt), Richard Fussell, James Arlidge, Wayne Evans, Hugh Gustafson, Steve Jones, Nigel Hall, Adam Jones, Rob Sidoli, Dan Lydiate, James Harris, Joe Bearman.
Replacements
Duane Goodfield, Ali McKenzie, Gethin Robinson, Grant Webb, Hoani MacDonald, Shaun Connor, Danny Lee
