NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are advertising for a new assis-tant/backs coach to replace David Rees who flew out to Hong Kong today to take up a three-year appointment as director of rugby there.

They have received a number of applications already, some extremely interesting, though they may well make an interim appointment from within Gwent by the time of their next match against Leinster in the Magners League in Dublin on November 29.

They will not, however, be able to bring in a new prop because he wouldn’t be registered for the Heineken Cup at this stage, so they will have to battle on with what they have at their disposal.

Jamie Corsi, Lee Harrison, Hugh Gustafson and Gethin Robinson have all been injured which means a heavy work load has fallen on to the shoulders of Rhys Thomas and Adam Black which told against the Wasps on Sunday when they were heavily outgunned in the scrums.

Corsi and Robinson are returning to the fray, but Harrison (neck) and Gustafson (back) remain long term absentees.

Dragons coach Paul Turner has, however, got a firm eye on the ball and is busy making enquiries about suitable prop recruits for next season after succeeding to a degree in the first year of the three-year plan he put to the board, which was to make the Dragons more competitive.

Scrum half is also something of a problem with Wayne Evans bearing the brunt in the absence of back injury victim Andy Williams all season, though he is ready to resume training.

Rob Lewis and Tom Isaacs have also been tried while Alex Walker is due to return from London Welsh in the new year, though he hasn’t been able to secure a starting place for the Exiles.