THE Dragons will host Northampton, and potentially Wales fly-half Dan Biggar, in a pre-season friendly at Rodney Parade.

The Saints will visit Newport on Friday, August 17 (kick-off 7.30pm) after Bernard Jackman’s men entertain big-spending English Championship promotion hopefuls Ealing Trailfinders at Bedwas’ Bridge Field on Saturday, August 11 (kick-off 2.30pm).

Earlier in the year it was announced that the Dragons will conclude their Guinness PRO14 preparations with a trip to Gloucester on Thursday, August 23 (kick-off 7.45pm).

Northampton are familiar foes in tune-ups and last summer dished out a 71-21 hammering at Franklins Gardens, albeit against a very inexperienced side in a friendly played a day after a more seasoned team had lost in Montpellier.

The Aviva Premiership side also triumphed when they hosted the Dragons in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in November.

The Saints, then English champions, visited Ebbw Vale’s Eugene Cross Park in the summer of 2014 and were stunned 27-25.

The Dragons hosted the Trailfinders in the summer of 2016 when an experimental side was overpowered by the visitors.

That clash could provide a swift return to Gwent for wing/centre Pat Howard and a reunion with his old Ealing teammates for hooker Rhys Lawrence.

The Gloucester game is the final warm-up for the start of the season and could provide Ross Moriarty and Richard Hibbard with swift returns to the west country.

The Dragons did not play a Rodney Parade friendly in 2017 because the new hybrid pitch was being given time to settle.

Dragons friendlies:

Ealing Trailfinders – Saturday, August 11 at Bedwas (kick-off 2.30pm)

Northampton – Friday, August 17 at Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.30pm)

Gloucester – Thursday, August 23 at Kingsholm (kick-off 7.45pm)