Tovey tipped for the top by former Dragon Owen (From South Wales Argus)

Tovey tipped for the top by former Dragon Owen

2:10pm Saturday 6th February 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

WALES No 8 Michael Owen predicts a big future for Jason Tovey ahead of tomorrow’s LV Cup tie between Saracens and Newport Gwent Dragons at Watford’s Vicarage Road.

Owen, now with Saracens after spending five years with the Dragons, won’t be involved in the game.

The former Wales skipper is recovering from a second knee reconstruction operation.

But he says he spotted Tovey’s potential when he was just starting out on his career and is aware of his record 25-point haul from the outside half position against the Ospreys last week.

“He played in a couple of games when I was still there and looked a real class player because of his time on the ball, his distribution and excellent temperament,” said Owen, now settled with his family at St Albans, not far from Dragons coach Paul Turner’s home.

“I think Jason is an amazing talent, though Wales have got some really good players at outside half, but he can be top class and you could see that 10 would be the best position for him.

“It was also nice Dan Lydiate got his first cap.

“And players like Rob Sidoli, Gavin Thomas, Wayne Evans and Aled Brew have been good signings.

“There’s a lot of good players at the Dragons who sometimes get unfairly overlooked.

“There is no reason why they should feel they can’t beat the Saracens just because they are a top Guinness Premiership team.

“The Dragons have got some really good players who could get into any Premiership side.

“Look at Rhys Gill (not wanted by Cardiff Blues or any other Welsh region but now a Saracens regular and in the Wales squad).

Owen, who won the last of his 41 caps against Fiji in the 2007 World Cup disaster, still has his ambitions at 29 and feels the consistently tough games in the Guinness Premiership will help.

“I desperately want to play for Wales again, as long as you play you want that. But I need to get fit again, I’d struggle to play today if they gave me the call!” he said.

“Teams in the Magners League are as good as any in Europe, they provided three of the four Heineken Cup semi-finalists last season, but in the Premiership every game is really important.

“It’s been established a lot longer, everyone knows how it’s going to run and over the season there are more tough games whereas the Magners is still finding its way and sometimes players are rested. It’s been brilliant here, I can’t fault anything though 2009 was disappointing with two knee operations.

“The Saracens are playing some good stuff and they’ve got some really good players with hooker Schalk Brits standing out.

“I think they’ll put a strong side out against the Dragons because of the chance to progress in the competition.”

Owen says today’s England-Wales clash could decide the destiny of the Six Nations title.

“They may be rated third and fourth behind France and Ireland, but if Wales can win they’ve got three home games to follow so it could set them up for the season,” Owen said.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)