‘Cheap shot’ may have cost flanker Griffiths a Wales place – Jackman
BERNARD Jackman has accused Russian centre Dmitrii Gerasimov of costing Ollie Griffiths a potential place in the Wales squad for the autumn internationals.
Flanker Griffiths, who made his Test debut four months ago and was a strong candidate to be named by Wales coach Warren Gatland with Lions skipper Sam Warburton, Ross Moriarty, Ellis Jenkins and James Davies unavailable through injury, suffered a broken jaw during Dragons’ 28-21 bonus-point European Challenge Cup victory over Enisei-STM in Moscow last Saturday.
Gerasimov has been banned for nine weeks by a European Professional Club Rugby panel for shouldering former Wales Under-20 captain Griffiths in the face.
“Ollie was carrying the ball at a set play off the back of a line-out and the guy (Gerasimov) lifted an arm and caught him. It was cheap shot,” said former Ireland hooker Jackman.
The 22-year-old had surgery after returning to Wales with Jackman saying: “Thankfully it was a clean break and the surgeon was really happy with how the operation went.
“We are really happy with the prognosis that within a month Ollie should be back on the field. Ollie is mentally very strong and he will use the time to come back even better.”
Jackman believes Griffiths had every chance of joining the five Dragons – hooker Elliot Dee, prop Leon Brown, lock Cory Hill, centre Tyler Morgan and wing or fullback Hallam Amos – in the Wales squad for the Principality Stadium clashes with Australia, Georgia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The vacant back-row place went to sevens specialist Sam Cross, who lines up for the Ospreys against the Dragons tonight.
Gerasimov denied the charge when he appeared before an EPCR disciplinary committee by video, but was found guilty and suspended for nine weeks.
The blow leaves the Dragons without one of their best players for the big Guinness PRO14 derby at the Ospreys tonight and away meetings with Irish big guns Leinster and Munster.
They were already without openside Nic Cudd (knee ligaments) for the rest of the season, while promising blindside flanker or No.8 Harri Keddie us likely to be sidelined until the New Year following a shoulder operation.
James Benjamin, James Thomas and former captain Lewis Evans, who made his comeback with a half for a Dragons Premiership Select XV during its defeat against Jersey in the British & Irish Cup last weekend, were the senior options available to Jackman although he went with Evans.
Evans, 30, whose tally of 204 appearances is a Dragons record, has not featured so far for the first team this term because of a preseason Achilles injury.
“Having lost Ollie, it’s nice to have an experienced, quality performer in Lewis to come back in,” said Jackman.
On the size of the task against the Ospreys, Jackman added: “It’s a big challenge for us.
“We were pleased to get our first away win for a long time in Russia but we need to try and get one in the PRO14, and derby matches are another step up.
“Ospreys are starting to hit form and I’ve the utmost respect for them.
They performed well against Clermont Auvergne in the Champions Cup but I thought they went up another level at the holders Saracens last weekend.”
And he claimed: “Ospreys have one of the best squads in Europe.”
Jackman said there was a “real buzz” in the Dragons camp when the Wales squad was announced, adding: “Our focus is to win as many games as we can and make sure our coaching, culture and environment is good enough so players can push on to play for Wales.
“Getting five players, four of them home-grown, from the Dragons region into the squad was a significant mile-stone.
“Now, it’s about getting five starting and six or seven in it next year.
“Just to see smiles on their faces when we told them they were in the Wales squad was an absolute pleasure.”