Newport Gwent Dragons captain Lee Byrne was forced to retire in April 2015 after he failed to recover from a shoulder injury. It was announced in July 2015 that Welsh international T. Rhys Thomas would captain the side for the 2015--16 season. Ospreys captain Alun Wyn Jones missed the start of the season while playing for Wales at the World Cup. In _his_ absence, the side was captained by Lloyd Ashley. <sep>, Pronoun: his <sep>, A: Alun Wyn Jones <sep>, B: Lloyd Ashley