Centre Tyler Morgan has targeted an injury free season and producing his very best rugby for Dragons – after revealing how the rollercoaster ride of the last few years has made him understand his body better.
Wales international Morgan made his regional debut against the Scarlets as an 18-year-old and has gone on to make 75 appearances for the Dragons.
However, the 23-year-old knows only too well that injury misfortune has denied him even more opportunities to impress for both region and country.
Morgan, a try scorer for Wales in the last autumn series with Tonga, was forced to miss the end of last season with a shoulder injury sustained against the Ospreys.
But the centre from Caerleon is now back firing on all cylinders and eager to make his mark under the watchful eye of new Director of Dragons Rugby, Dean Ryan.
"Being injury-free is the target and producing my very best rugby,” said Morgan, who was also diagnosed with diabetes last year.
“I just want to play as much as I can this year and get back to the level that I know I can be at, then break my way back into the Wales squad. I am out of the mix at the moment but I know I will eventually get back in there.
"All I want to do is play rugby to the best of my ability and win some games, because that's the reason I started playing.
“Injuries have slowed me down a bit - but I was just a boy back then,” he added. “I just think that I’m more mature now and I know how to look after my body.
“Back in the day I probably wasn’t eating right, I wasn’t look after my body in the way I should have been. Now with all the prehab, physios and recovery – I’m strict with that now.
“I don’t go out on the training pitch and tweak my hamstring like I used to because I come in and do my work before.
“It was a frustrating couple of years, it was a tough old ride but I do feel like I’ve gotten over the hill now.”
And discussing the new-look regime at Dragons, Morgan has been impressed with what he has seen so far.
“There is a different feel this year,” he revealed. “It’s been a tough first block of pre-season, with weights three times a day for four weeks, but we all made some good gains.
“The environment is really professional. Behind the scenes everything is fluent and moving in the right direction. It’s an exciting time for us all.”
I just want to play as much as I can this year and get back to the level that I know I can be at...
