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Taking the ball at full pace late in the first half of the Dragons’ October clash with the Sharks, Jared Rosser left one would-be tackler for dead before shrugging off another who went high on the 26-year-old.
Making a beeline for the last man, the wing then had the wherewithal to find Rhodri Williams in support on the inside, putting the scrum-half over for a superb try seemingly from nothing.
At that point, the Dragons were seemingly racing away with the match, although it would end in horribly familiar circumstances for their supporters. There hadn’t been a great deal to cheer about for the Gwent side in the opening months of this season.
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Seven straight defeats and the departure of a head coach have filled the time between their opening-day victory over the Ospreys and their second win of the campaign, against Newcastle, on the weekend.
Moments like the one above, ultimately, didn’t result in victories. But in the case of Rosser, those moments helped push him into the consciousness of Warren Gatland.
It’s understood that the Wales coach has been impressed with Rosser and his strength, with those at the Dragons having been made aware that the wing is on Gatland’s radar.
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Back in April, the winger moved into fourth in the Dragons’ all-time try-scoring list – with an intercept against Benetton his 30th try for the Rodney Parade outfit. Only Aled Brew, Ashton Hewitt and Hallam Amos have more.
Of those ahead of him, only Brew boasts a better try-scoring rate. Brew dotted down every 2.79 games, while Rosser has managed a score every 3.1 matches.
The 26-year-old has yet to cross the whitewash this season, but that didn’t stop him being in the picture for Wales in the autumn. It’s understood the Wales Sevens international was seriously considered for a place in Gatland’s squad.
Rosser has also been attracting interest from elsewhere, with one English club and a couple of French sides monitoring him. However, it’s understood he’ll remain at Rodney Parade for at least a couple more years.
Former Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan previously compared Rosser to ex-Wales wing Alex Cuthbert, noting the Abergavenny-born man combined power and pace in a similar fashion.
It’s those traits which have put him on Gatland’s radar. Whether he gets a call-up now remains to be seen.