The wing has had his fair share of bad luck in recent years, with three major knee operations threatening to end his future in rugby.
But following his latest pain-staking recovery, from the injury he suffered against Benetton Treviso in October, Poole starts on the wing against a Gwent Select XV as rugby at Rodney Parade gets back underway.
“I had a donor graft from a dead person and it would have been nice to find out who it was from so that I could send a letter to the family but they don’t disclose that information,” Poole told the South Wales Argus.
“I’m very grateful to them and I also owe surgeon Mark Lewis a lot. A few years ago I would have been crocked. I wouldn’t have been able to play again.”
Poole could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel and hanging up his boots after being dealt so many cruel hands.
But he has demonstrated steely determination to get back on the pitch and admits he also owes the Dragons for their faith.
“Out in Treviso when it happened again, I was absolutely devastated,” added Poole.
“I’ve had stinking luck with injuries but I feel good now, I feel strong.
“It’s like the saying, ‘It’s not how you get knocked down, it’s how you get back up again’.
“I don’t think many people could have come back from three serious injuries, but I think I did it because of my nature and how I look at things.
“The first 12 weeks after surgery were savage. You can’t do anything because you’ve got to be patient and wait for your body to take on the graft.
“I’m also massively thankful to the Dragons for giving another chance, I can’t speak highly enough of everybody.
“There’s no other goal now than to play as much as I can and to see how it goes this weekend.”
Dragons team: D Evans, T Prydie, A Hughes, P Leach, M Poole, S Jones, J Evans, A Coundley, H Gustafson, D Way, I Nimmo, A Coombs (capt), J Groves, D Waters, T Brown. Replacements: S Parry, N Williams, T Ryan, J Tyler, H Stoddart, I Jones, W Evans, L Robling, J Dixon, A Tuilagi.
Gwent Select team: G O’Driscoll, K Baller, A Awcock, R Wardle, E Frewen, R Powell, R Downes, R Cornock, G Price, K Gaye, D Hodge, C Lodge, P Sargent, R Nash (capt), J Thomas. Replacements: R Hutchinson, A Lott, M Jones, K Maiden, C Attwell, A Powell, A Quick, D Gunter, A Davies, M John.
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