Newport Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner is in New Zealand along with chief executive Gethin Jenkins stepping up their attempt to sign two former All Blacks.
Turner's priority is to find some big ball carrying tight forwards and it is believed he is looking for a hooker and a lock.
He is hoping to come to an agreement with two players who have won a few caps for New Zealand in the same way as Cardiff Blues pair Xavier Rush and Ben Blair and Ospreys back row forward Filo Tiatia.
Any deal which can be struck will be governed by money.
There is no an unlimited amount on the table but the Dragons will have the cash available after the departure of Michael Owen, Ceri Sweeney and Richard Mustoe, the on-loan winger, like Sweeney, joining the Blues. Turner has to persuade the New Zealanders to join the Dragons at a time of change, with work due to start on a £40m Rodney Parade ground redevelopment next March.
It is now thought neither the Dragons nor Newport will have to move away when the project starts.
The work is likely to be done in phases, though on that basis it may be difficult to complete it in the 18 months originally set aside.
And it is hard to see how Bristol, whose ground is also being redeveloped, could ground share at Rodney Parade, in their case having to shift from their headquarters.
The Dragons, and Newport, of course, already play at Rodney Parade and having three teams there would place a huge strain on the pitch and on fixture scheduling.
Meanwhile, the Dragons' outside half vacancy left by Sweeney could well be filled by Shaun Connor, the former Newport player who has been with the Ospreys since the inception of regional rugby.
The Dragons will have to rearrange their second league game with the Ospreys. Saturday's away game had to be called off because of the Ospreys' EDF Energy Cup semi-final, now the return on April 12 will also have to be rescheduled after the Ospreys beat Saracens to reach the final.
