The Dragons are on the trail of Argentinian international scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou as they look to further strengthen their squad for next season.
Aged 27, Bertranou has won 26 caps for the Pumas and been an important figure for the Jaguares Super Rugby side.
It’s understood the Gwent region are hopeful of getting his signing over the line.
That would be another notable recruit for them on the back of bringing Wales lock Will Rowlands on board from Wasps.
Bertranou would compete for the No 9 jersey with Welsh internationals Rhodri Williams and Tavis Knoyle, with Englishman Luke Baldwin also on their books.
Born in Mendoza on New Year’s Eve 1993, he’s the son of Miguel Bertranou, who won 15 caps in the Argentine back row between 1989 and 1993.
A product of Los Tordos rugby, he captained Cuyo in the Provincial Championship and then the second string Argentina XV in the Nations Cup.
He made his full Test debut against Paraguay in Asuncion, aged just 21, in May 2015.
Bertranou went on to establish himself as a regular fixture in the Pumas match-day 23 from the summer of 2017.
He’s started nine times for his country in all, including the game against Wales in San Juan in 2018, while he’s figured in 11 Rugby Championship matches.
Having played a part in the Pumas’ 2019 World Cup campaign in Japan, scoring a try versus the USA, he lined up twice against both New Zealand and Australia at the end of last year.
He came off the bench during the famous 25-15 victory over the All Blacks in Paramatta and started the drawn match with the Wallabies in Newcastle, winning his most recent cap in the rematch with the Aussies just last month.
For the Jaguares, he has made 45 Super Rugby appearances, being part of the squad that reached the 2019 final.
A combative scrum-half, he has a good sense of where to be on the pitch, racking up a number of tries as a support runner.
In the wake of the Jaguares’ exclusion from this year’s Super Rugby campaign, Bertranou has the option of playing for them in the South American pro league (SLAR).
But the word is he has been looking for an opportunity abroad and that could well see him heading to Wales and Rodney Parade.
