Blues flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor close to Dragons move

Sam Warburton's progress has hit Sowden-Taylor with Blues and Wales

Blues and Wales flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor is thought to be on the verge of signing a contract at the Dragons.

The eight-cap open-side, 27, is out of contract at the end of the season.

Sowden-Taylor, who won his first Wales squad call-up in 2001 at the age of 18, has long been seen as the heir apparent to Martyn Williams for Wales and Blues.

But this season he has slipped behind Sam Warburton in the pecking order for region and country and he is set to swap home-town Cardiff for Newport.

The flanker is also believed to have had talks with new Super Rugby outfit Melbourne Rebels, but that move has not matured.

The Australian side are to recruit Dragons back-five forward Hoani MacDonald, though, so Sowden-Taylor will be a valuable addition to back-row resources at Rodney Parade.

He will face stiff competition for his favoured number seven jersey, with Dragons flanker Gavin Thomas considered by many to have been the form open-side in Wales this season.

The Dragons have also been linked with Blues back-five forward Scott Morgan and Worcester fly-half Matthew Jones, while there has been speculation over the future of fringe overseas players like James Arlidge, Danny Lee and Grant Webb.

Arms Park youth-product Sowden-Taylor made his debut for Cardiff RFC in 2001 and has scored seven tries during his time at the Blues

He captained the team in the 2005/6 season, but suffered a horrific ankle break in September 2006.

Having represented Wales at age-group level and toured Japan with the senior squad in 2001, Sowden-Taylor won his first cap in the Six Nations win over Italy in 2005 as Wales powered towards the Grand Slam.

His last cap was in the 15-48 win over the United States in Chicago last June.