Blues and Dragons looking at Ashley
CARDIFF Blues could be ready to swoop for Ospreys second row Lloyd Ashley.
And the Dragons are also thought to be watching the situation.
The 6ft 5in, 18st lock has a year left on his contract at the Liberty and it is understood the Ospreys could be persuaded to release him early.
The Blues are waving good-bye to Damian Welch, who is stepping down a grade of rugby to join Cross Keys, and they are looking for an experienced squad lock who will add to their depth in a key area and provide value for money.
Ashley ticks both of those boxes, with 108 appearances for the Ospreys under his belt over the past seven years.
A hard grafter, he is an excellent defender who has skippered the former league champions and is renowned for his dependability.
His problem at the Ospreys is they have four international locks in Alun Wyn Jones, Bradley Davies, Adam Beard and Rory Thornton, plus an emerging talent in James Ratti.
But Ashley still figured off the bench in three of the six Champions Cup games the Liberty Stadium team played this season.
Though the Dragons say their recruitment for next term is complete, they are apparently monitoring Ashley.
They have enquired about taking him in the past and he is someone who could add ballast to their front-five operation.
Nothing is definite about the Caerphilly-born product moving on, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if his time at the Ospreys drew to a close this summer.