FORMER Newport Gwent Dragons tighthead Tetaz Chaparro has joined Top 14 outfit Lyon.

The 25-year-old prop was a member of the Argentina XV that beat Australia for their first Rugby Championship win last Saturday and has now headed to France to link up with his new side.

Lyon sit one place outside of the Top 14 drop zone and have signed Chaparro, who previously played for Stade Francais, as injury cover for South African front rower Wian Du Prez.

The Pumas prop made 18 appearances for the Dragons last season but was released from his contract, which had another year to run, in April and returned to La Plata in his homeland.

It had been hoped that Chaparro would shore up the region's struggling scrum but he struggled to make an impact and the Dragons ended the season with 39-year-old Duncan Bell, who had been tempted out of retirement, as first choice.

Director of rugby Lyn Jones has since signed a trio of tightheads – Brok Harris, Lloyd Fairbrother and David Young.