OLLIE Griffiths may have ticked off plenty of new injuries in action for the Dragons but the dynamic forward has pledged not to change his style.
Even with the riches across the back row at Rodney Parade, the 26-year-old from a Newbridge is a shoo-in when fit thanks to his breakdown prowess, explosive ball-carrying and big work rate.
However, staying off the injury list has been a problem for the back row forward since his 2014 debut.
Griffiths has had major hamstring, ankle, bicep and leg problems, not to mention a broken jaw courtesy of a cheap shot from a Russian forward.
The injuries have hindered his chances of adding to the solitary Wales cap that he won with an extremely brief cameo against Tonga in 2017 (he did also face the Barbarians in 2019) but they come with the territory.
"It would be easy to go into myself and avoid collisions and get through less work but that's not the sort of player I am or I want to be," said Griffiths.
"I would almost rather be 100 per cent and have the injury history I've had than go out and just get through games and tick boxes."
"A lot of the injuries have been impact, I think it is just a lot of bad luck," he continued. "With my position as well, I get through a lot of work and a lot of collisions and impacts.
"If you look at the positions back rows get themselves into, they are always top tacklers, carriers, rucks.
"The risk automatically goes up when you are making more contacts than the majority of people in different positions, so that is just part of it."
The Dragons also have Wales internationals Ross Moriarty, Aaron Wainwright and Taine Basham plus Harri Keddie, Ben Fry, Huw Taylor, Dan Baker and Lennon Greggains to pick from.
That has led to director of rugby Dean Ryan looking to manage the workload of Griffiths, who also hopes to profit from the toil of the tight five.
"We've probably got the balance better in our pack than in recent years," he said. "I feel that our front five are carrying more and getting through a lot of work, which takes the load off the back rowers. That is showing in the stats, our collisions and metres.
"The competition in the back row is the strongest that it has been for a while and that pushes everyone to train harder and better.
"But it's also nice to know that you won't get flogged all year because there are people behind the back row that can do just as good a job."
Griffiths can play across the back row but continues at openside against Leinster in Newport tomorrow.
It will be his 23rd game against an Irish club side and he has enjoyed just two wins, both of them against Connacht at Rodney Parade.
The odds are long on the Dragons ending a four-year hoodoo against the provinces this weekend but Griffiths believes an upset is possible if they are on their game.
He said: "Everyone knows how good Leinster are, it's going to be difficult but I honestly believe that any team can beat another on any given day if they get their own house in order.
"We need to be on the money in every facet of the game. Slip up in one thing and they take advantage.
"Every part of our game needs to be the best it can be, if we do that then we can be successful but it will be a tough game against the best team in the URC."
Griffiths will hold nothing back in the bid for an upset and hopefully will leave the field in one piece.
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