DRAGONS playmaker Sam Davies says Aneurin Owen is destined for the top after hailing the young centre’s combination of classy skills and physicality.
The 20-year-old from Newport made his professional debut as a replacement in the Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux-Begles and has gone on to become a key figure in midfield.
Owen has made an impression on his Dragons teammates with his on-field exploits but also his diligence at the Ystrad Mynach training base.
He has also reaped the rewards of a conditioning programme during 2019/20 that saw him make physical strides to go along with the ball-playing ability that is to be expected from a former fly-half.
Davies has hailed Owen’s playmaking, which is considerable praise from a man who joined forces with James Hook at the Ospreys.
“Nye has been outstanding. He keeps his feet on the ground but he will go far in this game,” said the eight-times capped Wales international.
“His distribution skills are second to none and I have seen quite a few good players in my time.
“That's credit to how hard Nye works in training and he will get better as he keeps learning the game.
“What he is putting on the field at the moment is outstanding, it's really enjoyable playing with him and I will enjoy working with him over the next few years.”
Owen has worn 13 but swapped positions with Jamie Roberts, while Wales centre Nick Tompkins was his partner for the majority of the excellent win against Glasgow.
“He trains hard week in, week out and is last out there still working on his game,” said Davies.
“He has worked hard on his physicality to get to where he is – he is reaping the rewards of hard work and dedication. Long may that continue.”
Davies and Owen are thriving thanks to the strides made by the Dragons’ pack, who have produced back-to-back physical efforts against Ulster and Glasgow.
“They are giving me a great platform,” said Davies, who has signed a new deal to stay at Rodney Parade. “That’s somewhere that the Dragons haven’t been so strong in the past.
“Now teams will have to start taking notice of us there and that will free up our back line. We have seen that we can be lethal off first phase.
“These are exciting times, the shackles are off and we are moving forward as a team.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel