THERE was quiet compliance rather than fury when Angus O’Brien was told in January he wasn’t going to be given the chance to build on a strong start to life back at the Dragons.
The full-back returned from the Scarlets for a second spell at Rodney Parade last summer and slotted in seamlessly, playing a huge part in the strong first block of the United Rugby Championship.
A spanner was thrown in the works in January.
The 28-year-old from Caerleon was forced off against the Stormers in South Africa at the start of December and then, after playing against Cardiff on Boxing Day, suffered a second episode at the Scarlets on New Year’s Day.
O’Brien went through the return to play protocols but they were irrelevant – head coach Dai Flanagan wasn’t picking him, regardless of the results.
“He is fine in himself but it’s a decision that I am making more than him,” said the boss. “I need to protect these people and nobody actually knows what goes on inside the head.”
O’Brien, who starts against Connacht at Rodney Parade this evening (kick-off 7.35pm) was desperate to play but accepted the decision.
“How it was handled was for the best because I had two concussions in a short space of time,” said the Wales Sevens international, who returned against Leinster a fortnight ago. “It was the sensible thing to do, having spoken to Dai and the medical team.
“Everyone wants to play, and I am so glad to be back and looking forward to finishing the season off well now.
“With the second concussion I was having symptoms for a few days after. They cleared up after that and I felt okay.
“It was the right thing to do, take a step back and not put myself in a vulnerable position when another could cause problems further down the line.
“It is good to have a coach take it out of your hands. Dai speaks to you on a normal level, and he was putting my welfare first, which was good of him.
“As players you want to play every week but the sensible thing sometimes is to take a step back, hear different opinions and listen to the advice.”
The decision to take O’Brien out of the firing line was a simple one but it also hit the Dragons hard.
After leaving the club for the Scarlets in 2018 and a fly-half/full-back he has returned as a full-back/emergency fly-half.
O’Brien has dominated the 15 jersey, making 11 starts, scoring three tries and leading the club’s chart for defenders beaten in the URC (22).
“I’ve been happy with how I’ve played this season. I didn’t play as much rugby as I wanted to the last couple of seasons, but coming back and having the opportunity play quite a lot has been good,” he said.
“I’m loving being back with the Dragons and playing back at Rodney Parade is always special.
“I’m really enjoying it and it is a great squad with good coaches and a great set-up. I am enjoying being back here.
“It’s been a tough few months, but we feel we’ve made progress this season.”
The Dragons will try to end a seven-game losing streak in the URC this evening.
They progressed to the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup thanks to a draw at the Lions and win in Pau but it has been disappointment since the end of October in the league.
“It’s a results industry, as we all know, and we haven’t had the results we felt we should have the last few months,” said O’Brien.
“You can see the way we are playing the trying to play, there is definitely progress. At the same time, we need to start winning games and getting over the line.
“That is the frustration this season. We know how good we can be for the majority of games, and it is about confidence now.
“As soon as we start winning it will breed confidence. That is something we need to get on top of.”
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