Cooper ready to bounce back

The 27-year-old Lions tourist, who has won 31 Wales caps, spent most of last season on the sidelines following surgery to rectify a long-standing shoulder injury.

He said: “I’ve been training hard for the last 10 weeks working on leg strength, speed and fitness, so I’m raring to go.

“I should really be in the best condition ever, I’ve had a chance to rest and improve everything.”

Cooper has fallen down the pecking order for Wales scrum-half, with Dwayne Peel the man in possession and Mike Phillips continuing to make a positive impression on the recent tour to Argentina.

“I’ve probably lost a bit of ground, but the Wales scrum-half position is always highly contested and any one of us can get the jersey,” Cooper added.

Cooper, who made his last appearance for Wales as a replacement against England at Twickenham in February, is determined to return to the Dragons as soon as possible.

“The first thing for me is to get back playing for the Dragons, but my higher ambition is to gain that number nine jersey for Wales,” he said.