Dragons recruit seasoned Bracken

Peter Bracken was a Heineken Cup winner with Wasps in 2007

The Dragons have eased their tight-head crisis by signing prop Peter Bracken from Galwegians on a four-month deal.

The 31-year-old Irishman goes straight into their squad for Friday's tough Heineken Cup opener at Gloucester.

Bracken played for Munster and his native Connacht before joining Wasps, where he won the Heineken Cup in 2007.

Before Bracken's arrival, Nigel Hall was the only fit tight-head at Rodney Parade, Ben Castle (torn bicep) and Gethin Robinson (shoulder) out injured.

Robinson's injury is not thought to be too serious, but summer signing Castle will be absent until the new year.

The New Zealander, who has only played a pre-season friendly for the Dragons so far, is out for at least three months.

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The Dragons have struggled in the scrum this season, and worked urgently to secure Bracken and draft him into the Heineken Cup squad as their wild card.

Coach Paul Turner said after Castle's injury: "It's frustrating, props are pretty hard to come by at this stage of the season.

"We lost [Wales tight-head prop] Rhys Thomas to the Scarlets in the summer, we're pretty conscious that we've got to try to sort that [area] out.

"You can't really do anything about injury, it's part and parcel of what is a huge collision sport.

"We've got to live with it and get on with it."

Bracken moved from Wasps to Bristol two years ago, but left to link up with Harlequins before returning to his native Ireland.

The ex-Ireland A man was an uncapped member of the Ireland squad that toured Australia and New Zealand in 2006, and the party that went to Argentina in 2007.