The Wales international called into an office and given crushing news that's left him with nowhere to go

The season coming to a close, Adam Warren had been delivered news every professional rugby player dreads, that he wouldn’t be needed for the following campaign.

For the 31-year-old west Walian, the timing was awful, leaving him little scope to set in place alternative arrangements on the professional scene with most teams having already spent their budgets.

He had given his all over seven years for the Dragons. Renowned as one of their most consistent performers. Liked by team-mates and supporters, who know a heart-and-soul player when they see one.

But the east Wales region were letting him go.

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There was one final chance to play a final game for the team. How to react?

The answer to that question said much about Warren.

Early in Saturday's United Rugby Championship match against the Lions, Jordan Williams threw out a pass that was intercepted by opposition right wing Stean Pienaar. Momentum had taken Warren five metres beyond the ball before he screeched to a halt. Turning some 10 metres from the Lions line, he could see Pienaar heading upfield. It must have seemed a serious ask to try to chase down a wing who had a significant head start.

But Warren set off in pursuit because that is the kind of player he is, someone who doesn’t wait for others. Nearing the Dragons 22, Jared Rosser made it over to slow Pienaar down, but it was Warren who scragged him to the floor, having raced around 70 metres to do so. It was one of the moments of the game.

“I enjoyed it,” laughed Warren, who featured once for Wales, against the Barbarians in 2012.

“I was pretty fired up before the match, given what had gone on, and I wanted to finish on a high. Perhaps some players wouldn’t have