RHYS Thomas, the Wales and Newport Gwent Dragons prop, has been given the all-clear by his doctors to play again with immediate effect.

Thomas has been prevented from playing any rugby at all for six months after being laid low by a mystery chest complaint.

He has been doing light training for some time and has gradually stepped it up until at last receiving the go-ahead to resume playing.

He hopes to get half-an-hour in for a Gwent Premier Division club on Saturday and even come into the reckoning for a place in the Dragons squad for their European Challenge Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne next week.

"I am absolutely ecstatic and I just can't say how desperate I am to play again," said Thomas whose last appearance for the Dragons was against Northampton way back on October 7.

"I had a meeting with the doctors and they told me I could play rugby again and that everything would be all right in the future. They put it down to a freak event and said the chances of it happening again would be remote.

"So I'm resuming full training this week with a view to playing perhaps half-an-hour for a club side this weekend, and if that goes well putting myself up for selection for the Clermont game.

"I've been doing fitness work for the last two months and weights for around five weeks, basically building myself up again though I haven't done any scrummaging.

"But now I can't wait to run and smash someone again. It's been absolutely painful for me, I'm gagging to play again."

Dragons rugby manager Jim McCreedy said: "It's great news. Rhys is a big player for us and he's a big ball carrier, I have no doubt he would have been involved for Wales in the Six Nations if it wasn't for this."

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins indicated some time ago that Thomas could well play a role in this year's World Cup if he made a full recovery.

During his time on the sidelines Thomas signed a new two-year deal with the Dragons and despite the Heineken Cup blow he is waiting for improvements with the region on and off the field.

"I'm happy here and I'm hoping we can push forward from where we are," he said. "We are building a half decent squad and if we carry on with that and improvements in facilities are made as promised we can be a good team.

"If there is no Heineken Cup that would be a massive shame if we win the European Challenge Cup or pip Cardiff Blues for third place in the league."

WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis still hasn't given up on the Heineken Cup being salvaged and this week attends two crucial meetings, with the ERC in Dublin tomorrow and the Six Nations in London on Thursday.

He says an extra international, probably against South Africa, would make up the financial shortfall, but will not go along with the rebel English clubs in their wish to expand the EDF Energy Cup competition because the control of the Unions has to be paramount.