NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have been snubbed by Wales coach Warren Gatland in his squad for the game against South Africa and two Tests in New Zealand next month.

Not one Dragons player has been included in Gatland’s 27-man squad for the three games, whereas the Scarlets, who finished ten points behind them in the Magners League table, provide no fewer than six.

They include uncapped trio Tavis Knoyle, Ken Owens and surprise package Rob McCusker, in addition to Stephen Jones, Jonathan Davies and Matthew Rees.

The Dragons’ representation is confined to three players among a list of seven named for standby duty should injuries arise – wing Will Harries, outside-half Jason Tovey and flanker Gavin Thomas, who will also train with the squad in the UK.

Lock Luke Charteris and blindside flanker Dan Lydiate would have been included had they not been injured, and wing Aled Brew might have made it as well but is also injured.

But it is still a real bodyblow for the Dragons – though some may not want their players to be included rather than risk further injury ahead of next season.

Harries has achieved far more this season than 18-year-old Tom Prydie, who has yet to start a match for the Ospreys, while Tovey has been outstanding in the second half of the season and has the added advantage of being able to play at full back with a left-footed option, while Thomas has been the form flanker in Wales this season, more so than McCusker and Sam Warburton, who is also in the squad.

And there is not even a place among the standbys for scrum-half Wayne Evans or lock Rob Sidoli.

Evans has enjoyed his best season and might even have pushed for the number- two slot behind Mike Phillips, while Sidoli, along with Gavin Thomas, has been an unsung hero of the Dragons pack this season.

The fact that he is over 30 – as is Thomas – won’t wash either because Deiniol Jones, the Cardiff Blues lock, has been included and he is 32, a year older than Sidoli.

Dragons fans will be really angry at this treatment, and though it’s some recognition the selection of three players on the standby list could be considered scant consolation.

Thomas, capped 22 times before joining the Dragons almost a year ago, has said all season it is his ambition to regain a place in the national team after his controversial departure from the Scarlets because of a prolonged spell on the injury list due to an Achilles tendon operation.

And the choice of Tovey and Harries is at least some acceptance of the way they have contributed to some brilliant attacking play by the Dragons in the second part of the season.

Harries has been on fire with some devastating running, and has even been compared with Shane Williams, while Tovey’s all-round play has pushed him right to the forefront of Welsh outside-halves, though Dan Biggar has got the nod over him as No 2 to Stephen Jones.

The other players on the standby list are Blues pair Chris Czekaj and hooker Rhys Thomas, ex-Dragons lock Ian Gough and prop Craig Mitchell of the Ospreys, and Scarlets scrum-half Martyn Roberts.

One notable inclusion in the squad is No 8 Andy Powell, removed from the squad during the Six Nations after the notorious ‘buggygate’ incident, but now apparently forgiven.

Backs: L Byrne (Ospreys), L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), S Williams (Ospreys), T Prydie (Ospreys), A Bishop (Ospreys), J Davies (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), S Jones (Scarlets), D Biggar (Ospreys), M Phillips (Ospreys), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), T Knoyle (Scarlets).

Forwards: G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), P James (Ospreys), A Jones (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets), H Bennett (Ospreys), K Owens (Scarlets), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Jones (Cardiff Blues), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), A Powell (Cardiff Blues), R McCusker (Scarlets), R Jones (Ospreys).