By Haydn Evans
Date: Friday, February 19th 2021
Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Time: 19:35 PM
TOUGH test awaits Dean Ryan’s Dragons as reigning Pro14 champions Leinster visit Rodney Parade.
The home side are on a losing streak of six games, their last victory coming in dramatic fashion over Glasgow Warriors in early December. Since then, back to back defeats in the Champions Cup and four losses in the Pro 14 (including three Welsh derbies).
Ryan’s side would have fancied their chances at breaking their duck in last weekends clash with struggling Edinburgh, however, the game was postponed due to a frozen pitch at Rodney Parade.
This week they will take on 7 times Pro14 champions Leinster, who have been boosted by the return of three players from the Ireland Six Nations squad: Ryan Baird, Jack Conan and Ross Byrne who featured in last weekend’s loss to France.
Dragons however have been decimated with absentees in the back row with Aaron Wainwright not being released from the Wales squad and Ross Moriarty (ankle), Ollie Griffiths (ankle), Taine Basham (arm), Harrison Keddie (head), Lewis Evans (calf), James Benjamin (leg) and Lennon Greggains (shoulder) all out with injuries.
Second-row Matthew Screech is deployed on the blindside of the back row as cover for the injured players with 20-year-old Ben Carter continuing at lock. Elsewhere in the pack, prop Lloyd Fairbrother makes his 100th appearance up front.
In the back division, Sam Davies, who signed a new contract in the week is partnered again with captain Rhodri Williams as half-backs. British & Irish Lion Jamie Roberts misses out following the birth of his new baby boy Tomos yesterday, and he’s replaced by highly rated Wales u20 centre Aneurin Owen, who makes his first Dragons start.
Former Ospreys no.8 Dan Baker features on the bench for the Dragons. The Welsh international was signed this week after being released from French second division side Stade Montois. Baker was part of a trio of Dragons signings this week with Argentinian international scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou and Wales u20 fullback Ioan Davies (Loan) not involved in the matchday squad today.
Leinster have the experience of Irish international Davin Toner and Wallaby Scott Fardy among their replacements.
Dragons coach, Dean Ryan, is relishing the visit of the side who currently sit top of Conference A.
“We are excited by the challenge of playing Leinster, we’re desperate to get back out there and play again” said the former England international.
“We want to be competitive in these games, that’s why we wanted the Champions Cup experience, to get better at these pressure games.
“We look forward to the test that is coming on Friday evening and seeing how we perform.”
Experienced hooker James Tracy said the Dragons will be ‘targeting’ them.
“Rodney Parade is a very tough place to go, we’ve had some bad nights there. We’re under no illusion that the Dragons are going to be targeting us. We have a good few internationals away and they haven’t lost as many from their playing group.”
Former Leinster and Ireland hooker and Dragons coach Bernard Jackman is predicting a tight game in South Wales.
“I think Leinster with some internationals back will be hard to beat, but the Dragons have a very talented, experienced team out so they will smell blood”.
DRAGONS: 15) Jordan Williams; 14) Jonah Holmes, 13) Aneurin Owen, 12) Jack Dixon, 11) Ashton Hewitt, 10) Sam Davies, 9) Rhodri Williams ©; 1) Brok Harris, 2) Richard Hibbard, 3) Lloyd Fairbrother, 4) Joe Davies, 5) Ben Carter, 6) Matthew Screech, 7) Ben Fry, 8) Huw Taylor.
Replacements: 16) Ellis Shipp, 17) Greg Bateman, 18: Chris Coleman, 19) Joe Maksymiw, 20) Dan Baker, 21) Luke Baldwin, 22) Josh Lewis, 23) Connor Edwards.
LEINSTER: 15) Max O’Reilly, 14) Cian Kelleher, 13) Rory O’Loughlin, 12) Ross Byrne, 11) Dave Kearney, 10) Harry Byrne, 9) Luke McGrath ©; 1) Peter Dooley, 2) James Tracy, 3) Michael Bent, 4) Ross Moloney, 5) Ryan Baird, 6) Josh Murphy, 7) Scott Penny, 8) Jack Conan.
Replacements: 16) Dan Sheehan, 17) Marcus Hanam, 18) Tom Clarkson, 19) Devin Toner, 20) Scott Fardy, 21) Rowan Osbourne, 22) David Hawkshaw, 23) Jamie Osbourne.
Match Officials: Referee, Ben Whitehouse (WRU), AR1, Mike English (WRU), AR2, Dan Jones (WRU), TMO, Ian Davies (WRU).