DRAGONS back rower Ollie Griffiths is battling to play again this season after suffering a ‘truck smash’ injury in South Africa.

The 27-year-old from Newbridge was forced off after 44 minutes of last Saturday’s United Rugby Championship defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria because of a groin injury.

Griffiths has remained with the squad ahead of Friday’s clash with the Sharks in Durban but is poised to be on the sidelines for most of the run-in.

It is another blow for a talented back rower who would have had more than one Wales cap were it not for injury misfortune.

However, Griffiths won’t require surgery and director of rugby Dean Ryan hopes his 10th appearance of the season won’t be his last.

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“We have had a scan and he has had an issue with his groin which isn't as bad as first feared,” he said.

“It is something that doesn't require surgery, which when it comes to Ollie is always a positive.

“He will work as hard as he can over the next few weeks to try and get back in for the end of the season.”

Griffiths got through a mountain of work before going down after tackling hard-running centre Harold Vorster.

“His game was incredible with his intensity and leading of the line physically against a side that was so much more powerful and heavy than we were,” said Ryan.

“Credit to him. His injury came at a moment where it looked like he had been caught in a truck smash.

“Ollie will do what Ollie does, he will get his head down, work his away at his rehab and bounces back. I am pretty confident we will see him before the end of the year.

“It's credit to him that he gives so much off the back of some of his injury history.”

The Dragons have been joined for the second part of the double-header by international forwards Will Rowlands, Taine Basham, Ross Moriarty and Aaron Wainwright after Six Nations duty plus fly-half/full-back Josh Lewis.

However, Wales lock Ben Carter will sit out the Sharks game after suffering a head injury against the Bulls.

“Ben would be back but I don't think it would be in his interests so I have ruled him out of contention. I wouldn't want to have a young athlete on a six-day turnaround,” said Ryan.