Wales internationals Ben Carter and Elliot Dee return to the starting line-up as Dragons prepare to face Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday (kick-off 5.15pm UK time).
Boss Dean Ryan makes a total of eight changes from the side that lost out to Munster last time out for the clash in Pretoria, South Africa.
Dee packs down up front alongside the recalled Aki Seiuli while Chris Coleman retains the tighthead jersey.
Carter is paired with Huw Taylor in the second row and Ben Fry is back at openside, part of a back row that also contains captain Harri Keddie and Ollie Griffiths.
Argentine international Gonzalo Bertranou partners Sam Davies at half back while Adam Warren comes in at outside centre. The final change is a call-up for wing Jared Rosser.
Will Reed could make his senior debut with the Dragons Academy fly half graduate named on the bench while there is also a return for Lennon Greggains who could make his first appearance since December 2020.
“Bulls have a huge amount of quality and for some of our players this will be a first experience of what the very top of the game looks like,” said Ryan. “My role is to continue to allow people to experience that and continue to find a way to keep people developing in that space.
“We’ve talked about adapting our game for the challenge,” he added. “We’ve got to look at the bits we want to bring with us, look at the bits we have to change, and we’ve spent this week putting that together.
“It will be a different game plan to what we would use at home, but we have got to be smarter, rather than come here, to altitude, and think we can impose a game on them.
“The players are looking forward to the test and to challenging themselves in this environment.”
Dragons: Jordan Williams, Jared Rosser, Adam Warren, Jack Dixon, Rio Dyer, Sam Davies, Gonzalo Bertranou; Aki Seiuli, Elliot Dee, Chris Coleman, Huw Taylor, Ben Carter, Harri Keddie (c), Ben Fry, Ollie Griffiths
Replacements: Taylor Davies, Josh Reynolds, Leon Brown, Joe Davies, Lennon Greggains, Rhodri Williams, Will Reed, Ioan Davies
It will be a different game plan to what we would use at home, but we have got to be smarter, rather than come here, to altitude, and think we can impose a game on them...
