MESAKE Doge intends to use the experience of locking horns with the All Blacks to wrestle the Dragons' starting jersey from Wales prop Leon Brown.

Tighthead Doge has headed to Rodney Parade from Brive, with two seasons in the Top 14 helping his international career with Fiji.

The 28-year-old won his first cap in 2016 but had to wait four years before a second Test outing against Georgia in the Autumn Nations Cup.

Doge clearly made an impression and started both of Fiji's summer international clashes against New Zealand.

The new boy headed from Hamilton to Wales to link up with his new teammates in Ystrad Mynach and hopes to reap the rewards from locking horns with Crusaders loosehead George Bower.

"It was a good experience - it's not often you get the opportunity to play the All Blacks and to be able to get those games in it's something that is special," he said.

"They were tough games, take nothing away from it, but to be able to play the current second-best team in the world is something that I will take away and learn a lot from as a player."

Doge spent two years with Timisoara Saracens in Romania before moving to Brive, starting against the Dragons in 2018.

After playing in the confrontational Top 14 where a strong scrum is essential, the Fijian is relishing a new experience in the United Rugby Championship.

"Different competitions, different teams and styles of play, I try to experience as many competitions as I can," he said.

"When I was in Romania it is quite different to how it was in France and comparing it to coming here in Wales it's going to be different again to those experiences.

"Just for development and experience, trying to play in different competitions and different countries is exciting.

"I had a talk with Dean [Ryan, director of rugby] and I was interested in the way they approached me and the way they are trying to put together a team that can make a change.

"To develop a very unique team and that is something that I am looking forward to.

"I believe that I'm still growing as a player so to come into an environment that will help you grow is something I'm excited for and that is why I signed for Dragons.

"Coming over from New Zealand straight to here, I haven't been home but the boys here have been very welcoming and so has the country, so it feels very good to be here."