DAI Young has told Dillon Lewis to continue silencing his critics by dominating the scrum for Cardiff in the early part of the season.
Lewis' scrummaging at the top level has always been criticised but the tighthead impressed on Wales' tour of South Africa making a mockery of predictions he was going to struggle in the setpiece.
And Young wants to see him replicate the form he showed against the Springboks in a Cardiff shirt. “Dillon is aware of the criticism but the only thing he can do is keep on proving people wrong,” said the Cardiff director of rugby.
“I think he did that in the summer. Obviously, he's here with Cardiff during the early part of the season to keep on proving people wrong.
“We all know he can play rugby. He's an excellent rugby player, very good over the ball, can carry, can tackle, and everybody will point the finger and ask is he a strong enough scrummager?
“I think he's shown in the summer that he is. What he's got to do now is just back it up.”
Young revealed Lewis, right, had been struggling with his fitness last season having played with a number of injuries. But he is confident he can take his game to another level this season as Cardiff look to move up the URC table. “What we have got this season is a fully fit Dillon Lewis,” said Young. “I don't mean physically fit, I mean injury free, training all week whereas for big periods of last season he was carrying some niggles.
“If you look at the autumn internationals he went with Wales, came back and didn't have time to get 100 per cent fit. This is the first time I've seen him where he looks completely injury free.
“He's struggled to be 100 per cent so I'm expecting big things from him this season.”
