Bradley Roberts: Dragons' Wales hooker on World Cup dreams and Durban return

Bradley Roberts made his Wales debut against South Africa in November 2021 and scored his first try in his sixth Test match against France in March 2023

Dragons hooker Bradley Roberts has set his sights on the 2027 World Cup after missing out on this year's tournament in France.

Roberts, 27, scored a try as a replacement in the Six Nations final match against France in March but was not selected for Wales' extended training squad.

Dewi Lake, Ryan Elias and Elliot Dee were Warren Gatland's three hookers at the global tournament.

"It was tough," said Roberts.

"I ended the Six Nations on a great note with a good 30 minutes against France.

"Everybody's dreams is to be an international. It didn't happen for me at a World Cup.

"You always want to make the squads and it was challenging. You have to look at the positives and I needed time off after a busy season.

"It would have been a dream come true but there's always the next one."

Roberts has started the season impressively and scored a brilliant individual try in Dragons' 20-5 win against Ospreys last weekend, with Wales coach Gatland watching at Rodney Parade.

"It's not that I am trying to play well because I am trying to get in the Six Nations squad," said Roberts.

"I want to play well to help the Dragons perform well which in turn benefits everybody in the team. That's the aim at the moment.

"I love the Dragons. I feel like they have backed me a lot which is what you want as a player. You want your coach to trust you and I feel Dai [Flanagan] does and we have a good relationship."

Bradley Roberts' try against Ospreys last week was his sixth score for the Dragons

Durban reunion

Roberts qualified for Wales through his paternal grandmother, who hailed from Llandysul in Ceredigion.

This weekend he has returned to the South African city where he was born and raised, as Dragons face Sharks at Kings Park in Durban..

"I can see my mum's flat from where we are staying," said Roberts.

"It was good to catch up and have a meal - I took a couple of boys because I miss her cooking. I saw her, my aunties and uncles.

"This is the first time I have been back in Durban and I have very fond memories of watching the Sharks play when I was younger.

"Growing up here I was a big Sharks supporter. They used to be called the Scholars. We would go and watch and have a barbecue or braai."

Roberts came through the Sharks academy and played at the famous ground as an under-19s player but never managed to gain a professional contract, which the player says was a "telling decision" in his career.

It forced him to look at other avenues and after spending time at the north Wales semi-professional side RGC, Roberts travelled to play for Rainey Old Boys in the All Ireland League.

His performances there caught the eye of the Ulster coaching staff, who brought the hooker into the squad before his move to Dragons in 2022.

Roberts says his lack of size was also an issue growing up in South Africa.

"I have always been a kind of underdog, I am on the smaller side but in my eyes I always just needed the one coach to look at me and say size does not really matter," said Roberts.

"Look past the size and see what else he has to offer. That is what I wanted and I got the opportunity to do that at Ulster.

"In South Africa they just like big people in general and it is similar to France. I think it's going a bit away from that now, but it used to be 'we need big bulk up front'.

"When I was at under-19s, look at the Sharks front row, it was Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis and the Beast (Tendai Mtawarira), so they were the type of guys around.

"If you look at me I am nowhere near that in size. They were probably looking for the new Bismarck and I clearly was not that.

"Cheslin Kolbe is the guy everyone looks to when talking about a small player. It's a bit different for me because I am in the mixer as a front rower.

"But it's an old-fashioned view that you have to look like Superman to be a rugby player. Teams know what works and there are short hookers around. It's a position where you can get away with it."

Dragons hooker Bradley Roberts is in his second season with the Welsh region, where he has played 22 games so far

No sentiment towards Sharks

Roberts is preparing to play at Kings Park for the first time as a professional in front of his family and friends.

"I don't know if I have enough tickets," said Roberts.

"All my friends and family will be there and a lot of them haven't seen me play in person as a professional."

There will be no sentiment from Roberts, though, as he aims to help pile more misery on a Sharks side who have lost their opening five matches.

"They have a good squad so we are not underestimating them," he said. "They have not clicked yet but when they do, they will be good.

"We are playing them at a good time, they are under serious pressure from everyone in South Africa.

"They would be expecting to be competing for the competition and nobody wants to lose five games on the bounce."

Sharks will be boosted by some of their returning World Cup-winning Springboks. Head coach John Plumtree has welcomed back lock Eben Etzebeth, scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse and wing Makazole Mapimpi into the side alongside Lukhanyo Am, who takes on captaincy duties. Ox Nche and Grant Williams are on the bench.

"We love testing ourselves," said Roberts.

"We want to play full-strength teams because it gives us a good gauge of where we are and with these guys back from winning the World Cup, the Sharks are loaded with quality.

"But they are under pressure, so we will look to pile more on them."