JAMES Chapron always believed Leon Brown had the potential to be a world-class prop, but he didn’t think the Dragons star’s rise to the top of the game would be so rapid.

Dragons Premiership Select XV boss Chapron, whose side visit Yorkshire Carnegie in the British & Irish Cup tomorrow (kick-off 1.30pm), first saw Brown play when the tighthead was just 15.

Now 21, Brown, from Maesglas, has gone from representing Cross Keys in the Principality Premiership to taking on Australia and New Zealand in next to no time at all.

“I didn’t think he would do it so quickly,” said Dragons academy chief Chapron when asked if he thought Brown would climb the rugby ladder as fast as he has.

“I first saw him when he was 15. I remember watching him playing a schools final and Tyler Morgan was on the other side.

“He was in our age-grade as a prop but in schools rugby you play wherever you can get your hands on the ball, so he was centre that day.

“When Leon was a very young player you could see he had potential.

“He’s obviously very gifted physically and just a very humble bloke.

“He prides himself on working hard on the pitch and he grafts.

“We always used to say he had the potential to be a world-class player and we don’t throw that about that often.

“It’s his athleticism, work rate and desire that are always going to make him world-class.

“With the rest of it, like the scrummaging, Ceri (Jones, Dragons forwards coach) has done a great job with him this year.”

He added: “He has accelerated quicker than any of us thought but Bernard’s (Jackman, Dragons head coach) put a lot of faith in him and I think Leon is repaying that faith.”

And in Brown and the Dragons’ other Wales internationals, Chapron reckons the region’s youngsters have some great role models to aspire to.

He said: “It’s great to have the likes of Elliot Dee, Leon, Hallam Amos, Tyler Morgan and Ollie Griffiths doing really well, and they’re young men.

“These boys aren’t anywhere near their maturation yet, they’re young, so I’m really excited what they can be, and it gives our younger players something to aspire to.”

Tomorrow’s group game in Huddersfield is the first of a double-header for Chapron’s charges against Yorkshire Carnegie.

Defeats to London Scottish and Jersey in their opening two fixtures has left the Dragons bottom of Pool 3.