DEFEENCE coach Simon Cross has joined the Dragons on a permanent basis and Luke Narraway has also become a full-time member of the region's backroom team.

Both former forwards were brought to Rodney Parade last summer by new director of rugby Dean Ryan, who had worked with them when in charge of Worcester Warriors.

Cross initially joined to work with the defence in pre-season but continued that role throughout the campaign on a part-time basis, fitting it in with his full-time job as head of rugby at Royal Grammar School Worcester.

The 39-year-old has opted to leave that position to concentrate fully on the Dragons and he will work alongside Narraway at the Ystrad Mynach training base.

The ex-England back rower was brought in by Ryan to take charge of the Celtic Cup team in August, September and October.

He returned at the start of this year to assist forwards coach Ceri Jones with first team matters after former Wales lock Ian Evans left his role.

Narraway, 36, will work under incoming forwards coach Mefin Davies, who was a old teammate at Gloucester.

South Wales Argus:

"Both Simon and Luke are talented coaches who made big impressions when they worked with the squad this season," said Ryan.

"They've now joined us on a full-time basis as we continue to invest in our coaching environment to get the very best out of our playing squad."

Cross, who captained Edinburgh from the back row in his playing days, was the Dragons' first specialist defence coach since Hendre Marnitz left in November 2018.

The Rodney Parade region were fourth in the tackle charts when the Guinness PRO14 was suspended indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic and their tenacity helped to edge a number of tight tussles.

They were second in the league for turnovers won with 71, a tally that only Cardiff Blues beat.

South Wales Argus:

Narraway, who won seven caps for England and cut his coaching teeth with Coventry and Bordeaux-Begles, led the Dragons young guns to victories over Munster A and the Ospreys in the Celtic Cup.

Davies is heading to the Dragons from Worcester with that appointment set to lead to the exit of the popular Jones, who has been with the region since 2016 and was caretaker boss for the second half of last season after the sacking of Bernard Jackman.

The strength and conditioning team will be bolstered by the arrival of Cardiff Blues favourite Dan Baugh, who is currently with Wasps in the English Premiership.