Young Gun: Cory Hill – NG Dragons lock

As Wales‘ brightest talents spark an exodus from the Valleys it’s surprising to see one of their hottest prospects heading the other way – but Cory Hill jumped at the chance to return home.
The 21-year-old Newport Gwent Dragons second row arrived at Rodney Parade this summer following a year in the English Championship with Moseley after his Cardiff Blues career had faltered.
His time with Moseley clearly reinvigorated Hill, who captained Wales U20s at the 2012 Junior World Championship and who has been earmarked as leadership potential.
And this season he has teamed up with director of rugby Lyn Jones as well as fellow lock Matthew Screech, 21, with whom he formed Wales U20s’ second row in South Africa.
He made his fourth PRO12 appearance of the season against the Blues – a match he admits he looked for upon agreeing to join the Dragons.
And while it appears that the likes of Leigh Halfpenny and Sam Warburton are the next big-name players to look for a move away from Wales, Hill couldn’t be happier in a resurgent Dragons side.
“It was an easy decision to come back to Wales,” said Hill. “Lyn didn’t have to sell the club to me, everything’s moving in the right direction here.
“And Moseley were very good to me, we agreed a clause in my contract that I’d be free to go if one of the four regions came in.
“I went to Moseley for game time and experience and that’s what I got and I think I’ve come back to Wales a better player.
“I’d never really had the chance to play against English sides. Doing that on a regular basis, against older, harder players who’ve been around has helped my game hugely.
“There are differences with the way they go about some things in England and to add that to my game has definitely improved me.”
While the Dragons were very much the poor relation in Wales last season, all has changed thanks to the stewardship of Lyn and Kingsley Jones.
The Ospreys remain the strongest region but the other three are nigh-on inseparable with another ex-Blues man Jason Tovey pulling the strings for the Dragons.
Add to that Toby Faletau’s decision to stay put at Rodney Parade and the impressive early-season performances of youngsters such as Jack Dixon and recent Wales debutant Hallam Amos, and it’s clear to see why Hill didn’t hesitate upon signing up.
“I think Lyn and Kingsley have done a fantastic job here. It is hard for me to speak about last season because I wasn’t here but there is a lot of positivity at the club,” he added.
“And we’ve picked up some excellent results, starting against Ulster on the first day and then winning away in Glasgow.”
It may take a while yet for Hill to sample international honours again with Alun Wyn Jones, Ian Evans, Bradley Davies and Luke Charteris all vying for the spots in the engine room.
But watching Amos’ rise to the senior set-up has given Hill renewed optimism. “Obviously it’s an honour to captain your country and it was a huge highlight to do so at the World Cup,” he said.
“I’m just thinking about the Dragons at the moment but it is good to know that performances for this club do get rewarded, as we’ve seen with Hallam.”