Botica Jnr set to join Dragons’ new boys

THE son of an All Blacks great is set to join the Dragons as their list of new recruits for next season continues to mount, writes Simon Thomas.

Principality Premiership points machine Jacob Botica is expected to come on board from north Walian side RGC this summer.

That will see him following in the footsteps of his famous father Frano in playing top-flight rugby in Wales.

New Zealand international Frano spent a couple of seasons with Llanelli during the 1990s, scoring 450 points in 42 appearances between October 1996 and March 1998.

Now it’s his youngest son – also an outside-half – who has taken on the mantle of piling up the points in the Welsh game.

He has scored 509 points in 67 outings for RGC, since joining the Colwyn Bay-based side in August 2016. That prolific form has now attracted the attention of the Dragons.

He will contest the No.10 jersey with fellow new recruit Josh Lewis, young Arwel Robson and veteran utility-back Gavin Henson.

Born in 1992 in Wigan, where his father was playing rugby league, Botica then moved to Wales with his dad’s switch to the Scarlets.

He attended primary school in the Carmarthenshire village of Pembrey before the family headed back to New Zealand when he was six.

Growing up in Auckland, he came up through the junior ranks at North Shore RFC, where he was coached by his father.

In 2013, he headed for France, where he spent three years, including a season with Agen.

And then came the move to north Wales, via his dad’s former Wigan team-mate Joe Lydon, who was acting as a consultant in the area having previously been WRU Head of Rugby.

Botica, 26, is one of a raft of signings by the Dragons, with coach Bernard Jackman making major changes to his squad.

Welsh international forwards Ross Moriarty, Aaron Jarvis and Richard Hibbard are coming on board from Gloucester, along with Bristol trio Rhodri Williams, Ryan Bevington and Jordan Williams and former Ospreys wing Dafydd Howells.

And it seems odds-on that Samoan international back-five forward Brandon Nansen will also be on his way to Rodney Parade.

Aucklander Nansen, 24, who primarily plays at lock, was part of the Blues Super Rugby squad last year and has spent this season with Stade Francais in Paris.

A strong runner, he made his name with North Harbour, making his Test debut for Samoa against Romania last November.