EBBW Vale have drafted in Dragons hooker Ellis Shipp to bolster their pack for tomorrow's crunch Premiership encounter with Aberavon at the Talbot Athletic Ground (kick-off 2.30pm).

The former Cross Keys and Bedwas number two replaces Joe Franchi in one of five changes in personnel to the side that lost to Bridgend last weekend.

Shipp has made five appearances for the Dragons this season, coming off the bench four times in the Guinness PRO14 and starting the European Challenge Cup win against Enisei-STM.

The 22-year-old was among the Dragons’ seven try scorers during their 49-22 victory at the Trud Stadium in Krasnodar.

Steelmen head coach Greg Woods will be keen to see Shipp impose himself in an Ebbw team sitting just three points off bottom club Bridgend.

There’s another change in the pack as Max Ayling comes into the second row alongside captain Ashley Sweet, who made his 200th appearance for Ebbw last Saturday.

Dan Hill partnered the skipper in the 18-15 defeat by the Ravens, and he switches to the back row with Cameron Regan dropping out of the squad altogether.

Woods goes for a double change in the half-backs with Matthew Flanagan playing inside fly-half Ethan Phillips. Dan Babos and Dai Langdon miss out.

In the back five, Aneurin Owen’s omission sees Dom Franchi move from outside to inside centre, Paul King swap the wing for the other midfield berth and Mike Powell come in on the right flank.

As for the fourth-placed Wizards, they are on a run of four straight losses in the league.

Aberavon and Ebbw have met 33 times in the league with the head-to-head record level at 16-16 and one game drawn – that draw took place at the Talbot Athletic Ground almost one year ago exactly.

Ebbw Vale: D Haymond; M Powell, P King, D Franchi, E Rosser; E Phillips, M Flanagan; R Jones, E Shipp, C Coleman, M Ayling, A Sweet (capt), D Hill, D Rubasniak, L Young. Reps: D Whiting, M Blake, R Sevenoaks, B Sier, H Harding, D Langdon, D Jones, R Evans.