Decision day for Charvis' rugby future

Mar 28 2008 by Simon Thomas, Western Mail

COLIN CHARVIS says he will have a better idea about his playing future after this weekend’s outing against Glasgow.

The former Wales flanker admits he feared his career was over because of the knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines for the past two months.

But now he is ready to make his comeback and skipper the Dragons in Sunday’s Magners League meeting with the Scots at Rodney Parade.

And, if he comes through that unscathed, he can then turn his attentions to what lies ahead.

The 94-cap veteran is out of contract at the end of this season, but Dragons’ coach Paul Turner has made it clear he wants him to stay on board.

So is Charvis ready to take up that offer and prolong his illustrious playing career?

“We haven’t really gone that far,” he said. “It’s a case of I had an injury eight weeks ago and hit the panic button and thought that was the end of my rugby career.

“But I’ve worked hard in rehab with the medical staff here to get me back playing again. I’ve trained with the team when I’ve been able to and I’m looking forward to getting back out there with them against Glasgow.

“We’ll find out this weekend whether this 35-year-old knee can still play professional rugby. Fingers crossed, it will hold together. It’s the first chance I’ve had to play in eight weeks and we are just taking one step at a time really.

“Touch wood, I’ve been very lucky with injuries over the years. I’ve only missed two long periods through injury.

“It’s just a case that we’ve worked hard, I’m back on the pitch and looking forward to playing again.”

While he hasn’t been able to get out on the field himself for the past couple of months, he’s remained close to the rugby action, working as a BBC pitchside pundit during the Six Nations.

“I’ve had a bit of media work in my spare time, so I’ve been keeping quite busy,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had free tickets to five international games where we’ve won all five, so I’ve had a good couple of months.

“I’ve enjoyed watching Wales and the success they’ve achieved. It doesn’t really strike me as though it would be a huge change in my life whether I’m actually on a pitch, or in a bar watching it or in front of a camera watching it.

“My passion is rugby, so somehow I’ll be around rugby and that’s all that really bothers me. I’ll have to have a chat with the bank manager and see if I need to play or not! No, in all seriousness, I haven’t made a decision. It’s as simple as that.”

Dragons boss Turner will do all he can to influence that decision and ensure that Charvis takes his spell at Rodney Parade into a third season.

“He has been great for us since he joined,” he said. “It’s been a difficult season for him what with the World Cup and then injury after that.

“He’s our captain and it’s great to see him back. We’ll sit down and talk when he’s ready.”

If Charvis does stay on for next season, he is likely to be joined by a couple of Super 14 stars, with Turner and Dragons chief executive Gethin Jenkins having just returned from a trip to New Zealand where they ran the rule over a number of possible signings.

Charvis says it’s important to bring in the right kind of overseas recruit and is confident the Gwent region will do just that.

“It’s about getting players that have still got a great work ethic and want to pull on the jersey and do well,” he said.

“You do find the odd player that seeks out a retirement fund and there’s the odd player that wants to come to the UK to work hard.

“I’m sure we are finding out the fellas that want to come here, roll up their sleeves and work hard.”

The more immediate priority for the Dragons is securing qualification for next season’s Heineken Cup and that process continues against Glasgow on Sunday afternoon.

Looking at the threat posed by the Scots, Charvis said, “They have got class half-backs and a very efficient and disruptive line-out.

“We’ve just got to be very careful with the possession we get and really cherish it, rather than spill ball as we have done recently. We’ve had a good few weeks of training and it feels as though we’ve knitted together a pattern of play ready for this type of game that should hold us in good stead.

“While there’s been a break in the amount of games we’ve had, the team have really gelled over the last few weeks and feel well prepared for the weekend.”

For Charvis, it’s a first outing since the Heineken Cup defeat to Perpignan on January 19, as he skippers a side that shows eight changes from last month’s draw with Edinburgh.

Fellow international Luke Charteris also returns from injury in the second row, while Wales prop Rhys Thomas is back from Six Nations duty.

In the backs, Aled Thomas replaces the injured Ceri Sweeney (shoulder) at outside-half and Gareth Wyatt takes over from Martyn Thomas on the wing.

There’s one position still to be finalised, with loosehead prop Adam Black facing a fitness test, which means Dai Pattison is on stand-by.

The Dragons have only won once at Rodney Parade since early October, but Glasgow have just a solitary victory from nine encounters with the Gwent outfit and lost at home to them in January.

Dragons: K Morgan; G Wyatt, R Gomer-Davies, A Smith, R Fussell; A Thomas, A Williams; A Black/D Pattison, S Jones, R Thomas, A Jones, L Charteris, J Bearman, C Charvis (capt), J Ringer. Replacements: B Daly, G Robinson/AN Other, P Sidoli, M Owen, P Emerick, M Thomas, W Evans.