FLANKER Ollie Griffiths and scrum-half Sarel Pretorius return to the Dragons XV for tomorrow’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Connacht at Rodney Parade.
Head coach Bernard Jackman makes one other change to the side that lost 35-18 to Edinburgh last weekend with Jack Dixon, who missed the clash at Myreside with a groin problem, back for shoulder injury victim Sam Beard in midfield.
Griffiths, player of the season in 2016/17, missed the start of the season with a hip problem while Pretorius sat out rounds one and two because of a calf strain.
Griffiths returns at openside flanker with James Benjamin shifting to number eight while the Dragons have made changes to their bench in a bid to add more impact.
Strong running back row forward Robson Blake is poised for a PRO14 debut while summer recruit Gerard Ellis, a Welsh-qualified hooker who arrived from London Irish, is included for the first time.
Thomas Davies gets the nod as loosehead cover while Dorian Jones and Jared Rosser cover fly-half and wing respectively.
Dragons: Z Kirchner, A Hewitt, T Morgan, J Dixon, H Amos, G Henson, S Pretorius, B Harris, E Dee, L Brown, R Landman, C Hill (captain), H Keddie, O Griffiths, J Benjamin. Replacements: G Ellis, T Davies, L Fairbrother, M Screech, R Blake, O Leonard, D Jones, J Rosser.
Connacht: T O’Halloran, D Leader, T Farrell, B Aki, R Scholes, J Carty, C Blade, D Coulson, T McCarthney, C Carey, Q Roux, J Cannon, E Masterson, J Heenan, J Muldoon. Replacements: D Heffernan, P McCabe, D Robertson-McCoy, G Thornbury, J Butler, K Marmion, S Crosbie, E Griffin.
Referee: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
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