IF Matthew Screech wins his first Wales cap next month then it will be with Cardiff next to his name, yet it will be an achievement made at Rodney Parade.

The lock has signed out at the Dragons after eight seasons and 163 appearances, a tally that puts him joint fourth on the all-time list.

Screech has opted to return to the Arms Park with a point to prove after being released in 2013, and he will possibly go back as an international.

After years of knocking on the Test door while a Dragon, he could get recognition as a Blue and Black. Typical.

It's funny how things work but Thursday's well-deserved call-up was one to fill plenty at Rodney Parade with pride.

South Wales Argus:

The inclusion in the squad to face Canada and Argentina didn't come in the way that Screech would have liked. In fact, it was almost missed because of the drama of who he was replacing.

The 28-year-old from Porth got the call because his close friend Cory Hill is considering a move to a non-Welsh team just a year after moving from the Dragons. If he goes then the 29-year-old would be putting his Test career on hold after 32 caps, and potentially calling time on it altogether.

Some talk of unfairness for Hill but let's not forget that Dragons tighthead Leon Brown could well have been an Exeter player were it not for the 60-cap law while Rhodri Williams and Ross Moriarty would never have come to Rodney Parade were it not for the desire to play Test rugby.

The Hill development highlights the problems that are facing Welsh rugby and could be the start of problems for Wayne Pivac.

Players took 25 per cent wage cuts because of the coronavirus pandemic and, with the professional clubs feeling that the Welsh Rugby Union aren't backing them sufficiently, leaving the country makes sense from a sporting and financial point of view.

Make no mistake, it's a shambolic situation and the governing body, who have opted to spend the £51million from CVC's Six Nations investment on capital projects, risk serious long-term pain with their approach.

That is the troubling backdrop to the Screech call-up yet it is a wonderful chance at the highest level for a player who has been producing the goods in club rugby for a while.

The lock grew into a leader for the Dragons, not in a barking orders way or a swaggering, snarling, macho manner.

South Wales Argus:

Screech just does his job – good in the lineout, extremely busy around the field, strong tackler and a willing grafter with a big engine. An added bonus was that he scored five tries last season, a tally that only wingers Jonah Holmes and Ashton Hewitt beat.

The forward has grown in influence while still being an unsung hero, going unnoticed by those who only have a passing Dragons interest to the extent that he could soon be the subject of 'Meet Matthew Screech: Wales' latest lock' article elsewhere.

He remains down the Wales pecking order but this is a golden chance to show Pivac and forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys what he is about.

Screech has a fight on his hands to turn a call-up into a cap with Adam Beard, Dragons-bound Will Rowlands and Dragons bright talent Ben Carter the specialist second-row options contenders, while back rower Josh Turnbull is another option.

Alun Wyn Jones will be back in the picture after Lions duty but there is a vacancy now that Jake Ball has left for Australia and Hill is on his way out.

Screech is in the mix along with his current squad rivals plus Cardiff's Seb Davies and the younger pair of Rhys Davies at the Ospreys and Morgan Jones at the Scarlets.

"I want to challenge myself in a new environment and get out of my comfort zone to improve as a player," said the lock after confirming his summer exit.

That will happen before he even pulls on the Cardiff training gear - and it's a deserved call-up.

Forget the reason for his selection, Screech has earned this opportunity.

It's just a shame that his former Dragons teammates didn't get the chance to give a rousing reception and a pat on the back at training in Ystrad Mynach to a player that they all valued greatly and still massively respect.

Screech is a Cardiff player but made himself a Test contender by hard work as a Dragon.