DRAGONS prop Lloyd Fairbrother is back at tighthead this weekend after an enjoyable spell testing his versatility in the “easier” number one jersey.

The 28-year-old took on loosehead duties for the European games against Castres and Enisei-STM, both times packing down alongside Wales internationals Elliot Dee and Leon Brown.

Fairbrother showed up well on the other side of the front row, going toe-to-toe with notoriously physical packs at Stade Pierre Antoine and Rodney Parade respectively.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s Guinness PRO14 encounter with Glasgow Warriors, Cornishman Fairbrother joked that his ability to fill two positions would mean “more money on the contract”.

With Brown now on Six Nations duty, Fairbrother is back in his more familiar role, and he is keen to make the most of it, starting at Scotstoun Stadium later today (kick-off 7.35pm).

“I had an opportunity at loosehead and took that with both hands, and I felt I had some decent performances out in France and against the Russians,” he said.

“If you want to test yourself then out in France is the place to do it. We stripped it back, I had a few areas to work on and I really enjoyed it.

“It’s easier than the tighthead side. When you play there, you have two people coming at you and your objective is to lock it down and stay square.

“At loosehead, your job is to go after them. I enjoyed it and I’ve told Ceri (Jones, forwards coach) it was easier, which he wasn’t too happy about.

“I know Aaron (Jarvis) has played both loosehead and tighthead in a game and Brok (Harris) has done it before.

“I have always prepped for one side, but I feel confident after the spell at loosehead that I could have a go at both in a match. That versatility can only be good.

“It’s another opportunity and back to the tighthead this week – hopefully it means more money on the contract!”

On Brown, he added: “Browner has had a brilliant season so I don’t mind being on the bench to him, but now he has gone I have four or five games to show that I am up to speed.”

The Dragons know they will all have to be up to speed from the outset tonight after five weeks without a match.

“We’re all champing at the bit to get playing,” said Fairbrother. “Training has been tough, and it has been a while since we played.

“We had a live session down at the Cardiff Blues and did units, lineouts and scrums before a small session, but it’s not match intensity.

“We do conditioning games and strongman circuits, but when that whistle goes it is different.”

In terms of the season, Fairbrother feels the Dragons are in a good place, thanks in large part to director of rugby Dean Ryan.

“I feel we are in a really good space,” he said. “At the start of the season we planned for a certain game, but the weather dictated what we could do so we had to tweak it.

“We have got good building blocks in place that we can always go back to, these fundamentals that we have been building on.

“Dean has come in with a fresh approach and in the first few months said he didn’t have the answers, we had to find them ourselves.

“Slowly he has brought these building blocks in and he is really good at the little aspects.

“Sometimes you look for answers elsewhere, but he has stripped it back and has told us to play what is in front of us. That has been refreshing.”