NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are set to tell their Welsh core to lead the charge in their bid for a first derby win in a year and a half this weekend.

The Dragons travel to the Scarlets in the Guinness Pro12 on Saturday (kick-off 7.35pm) hunting only a second ever win in Llanelli, their sole success having come at Stradey Park in 2007.

Kingsley Jones' side endured a derby whitewash last season – their last success was in the famous European Challenge Cup quarter-final win against Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade in April, 2015 – and the head coach is prepared to go with hungry Welsh talent to try and end the streak.

Wales centre Tyler Morgan is poised to slot back into midfield after sitting out last Friday's 26-17 defeat to Glasgow at Rodney Parade while flanker Ollie Griffiths may also return after niggles have led to miss the last two games.

While the likes of Rynard Landman, Sarel Pretorius, Nick Crosswell, Brok Harris and Ed Jackson are key members of the squad, Jones wants his local lads to take the lead.

"It's a big one for us and a game that everybody wants to play in," said Jones. "There are lots of Welsh options for us and it may well be the case that you see lots of Welsh faces, maybe 23!

"All the boys in the squad want to play in a derby but the Welsh boys want it a little bit more perhaps."

The Dragons have a handful of Wales hopefuls that will be looking to catch the eye of international boss Rob Howley ahead of his October 18 squad announcement for the autumn internationals.

One of them is centre Jack Dixon, who was a member of the World Cup training squad in the summer of 2015 before a career-threatening kidney injury ruined his season.

The 21-year-old from Newbridge heads west on the back of a strong performance against the Warriors in which he carried strongly, defended impressively and scored try.

"He had a big game," said Jones. "I've been asking Adam (Warren) to put a bit of pressure on him and Jack has dealt with it really well and produced.

"That's what I like about Jack and a lot of these youngsters, I've put a bit of pressure on him and challenged him with a few things and his response has been fabulous.

"Jack hasn't sulked and when I've left him out he has taken it really well, he has worked really hard. I gave him a clear job description against Glasgow and he delivered, which is brilliant."

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The Dragons are unlikely to go with a totally Welsh matchday squad but they could field 23 currently-fit senior players who can play for Wales.

Potential all Welsh line-up: T Prydie, A Hewitt, T Morgan, J Dixon, H Amos, N Macleod, C Davies, S Hobbs, R Thomas, C Mitchell, M Screech, C Hill, O Griffiths, N Cudd, L Evans. Replacements: R Buckley/D Harris, T Davies, L Fairbrother/L Brown, J Thomas/J Davies/A Sweet, H Keddie, L Jones, A O'Brien/D Jones/GR Jones, A Warren/S Beard