THE LV= Cup is a competition that gives youth a first chance on the regional scene but the Newport Gwent Dragons squad that headed to Harlequins last Friday did not contain a single debutant.

This is not a criticism of the Dragons, it merely emphasises that their young guns are already important members of their squad.

They fielded eight players aged 20 or under – and that doesn't include regulars Hallam Amos, Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan.

Hooker Elliot Dee, 20, has already racked up 23 Dragons appearances while 18-year-old lock Joe Davies made his bow a year ago and his fellow teens Ashton Hewitt, Barney Nightingale and Ollie Griffiths have all experienced Guinness Pro12 action this season.

Many English clubs call in burgeoning talent for the LV= Cup, many of whom have been plying their trade in the Green King IPA Championship, but the Rodney Parade region, partly through financial necessity, already includes it in the frontline squad.

That has its challenges and the current crop's success means that there is a bit of a lag behind it, making it harder to call on the academy when hit by an injury crisis.

The Dragons are currently down to their last three hookers but there is no young gun to call on in an emergency as Dee is already in the mix.

The same has been the case in midfield – Dixon and Morgan were born after Definitely Maybe was released by Oasis yet are already considered as part of the senior gang alongside captain Lee Byrne, who came into the world in the year of Blondie' Atomic.

The region's academy is doing a fine job and is underpinning the Dragons seniors' efforts.

The Quins squad included 18 members that had come through their ranks while Cardiff Blues' win against Newcastle came with 16 of their own.

The Dragons' tally was 10 but their matchday squad for the league game against Ulster at the start of the month was great than that with 12 having come through the academy.

Hopefully the likes of Angus O'Brien, James Benjamin and those listed above will be key figures in years to come but it's also clear that more investment, preferably in quality overseas recruits like Rynard Landman, is needed in order to allow talent to flourish and to provide a deeper squad.