TONIGHT we head up to Eugene Cross Park for the fixture against an Edinburgh side who have really found some form over the last few weeks to move into a play-off spot in Conference B.

The community team have been working their socks off over the past few weeks to try and grab the attention of the young locals. Let’s hope the weather is kind and plenty turn up for what could be their first taste of regional rugby.

I have spoken to many fans over at Rodney Parade this season and often been asked what I get up to during long periods of injury like I am going through now.

The difference with concussion compared to any other injury is that there isn’t an awful lot you can do to help yourself recover.

If I blow all ligaments in my knee I’ll be given a strict rehab programme and I’ll know I’ll be back within nine months. With concussion you take every day as it comes and try to push the threshold that little bit further each time you exercise.

If you go too far, you just take a step back. There is no fixed recovery period and each concussion is as individualised as the person who sustained the injury.

To make use of the spare time I have while the boys are training or playing, I have been working with the Welsh Rugby Players Association who have rebranded themselves this season and are being led by former Cardiff Blues player Andries Pretorius.

An association to help out the players in Wales has been seriously lacking for years, but now we have the right people in place at the top, and each club has their own PDM (player development manager) to help the guys out in everything non-rugby.

Our PDM, Dan Owens, has been great for us all and always lends an ear to anyone who has any issues or requires any help.

As a lot of supporters know from my appearance on ScrumV a few years ago with Phil Steele, I’ve got my pilot’s licence and wished to fly for the airlines post-rugby.

However, with the head injuries I have sustained over the years this has become a slim possibility, so as a back-up I have embarked on my financial exams.

I have now completed eight exams over the past 12 months, so Dan thought of a way for me to get some good practice in.

A few weeks went by and in January we made a presentation on the basics of finance and I spoke to both the Dragons and Wales 7s squads.

This is an area I strongly believe we are lacking as professional players, especially now as players are getting younger and wealthier every season.

Everyone bought into it really well and I haven’t stopped receiving questions since.

On top of this I am gaining further experience by shadowing advisers at Niche IFA, who are one of the Dragons’ sponsors and are always seen at home games, on our days off.

These are the things you can do as an injured player to help keep you sane. It doesn’t work for everyone, but I’m not one to sit in the house and I get very twitchy when not occupied.

Onto this weekend’s Six Nations fixtures, France should beat the Italians with a bit to spare but the other two games are very tough to call.

For Wales to beat Ireland it will all be about the aerial battle, which is why Warren Gatland has selected the backline he has.

Conor Murray is possibly the best kicking 9 in the world and players like Liam Williams will need to be at their high-ball catching best to stop that threat, and Dan Biggar will need to give as good as he gets with his boot.

With a very strong back row Wales can dictate the speed of the game like they did at Twickenham.

Josh Navidi has really made that 7 jersey his own with some great performances this season. I played with Josh through the age grades and he was always physically superior to others, but he’s added to that advantage to be technically superior now as well.

The last time I saw him his knee was flying at some speed towards my face, and that’s the last I remember… but there’s no grudge held!

The Irish seem very confident this weekend so Wales can go over as the underdogs with less pressure on their shoulders and surprise them.

I would also like to say congratulations to my former club Cwmbran RFC, who went top of Division Two East last weekend with a very hard-fought win against Hartridge.

Coached by former Wales scrum half Ryan Powell, they are flying this season and the possibility of promotion to the 1st division is turning into a very real possibility It was clear in the build-up that there was never going to be a backwards step taken by either team and that turned out to be the case.

Cwmbran snatched victory with a Johnny Sexton-like drop goal towards the end of the game to win 19-18.