Dragons v Connacht Rodney Parade, Sunday 4.0pm Pat Lam will be hoping to halt Connacht’s recent Pro 12 run. Beaten in the last two matches away to Scarlets and at home to Edinburgh, the trip to Rodney Parade will be a chance to stop a potential run of three defeats in succession.
Of course the coach need only look back to their league game before those two losses and thoughts of the win over Munster on New Year's Day could trigger a big performance in Newport.
Lam has made three personnel changes with Craig Ronaldson named to start at inside centre. Dave McSharry moves outside him and Danie Poolman switches out to the wing. In the absence of Irish scrumhalf Kieran Marmion, John Cooney partners Jack Carty at half back.
The one change to the pack is for Eoghan Masterson at number 8 for twhat will be the 21-year-old player’s first start of the season.
“Despite last week’s defeat to Scarlets, we remain in sixth place and a top six finish is still in our hands. However, we no longer have that safety net and the outcome of tomorrow’s game is important for both sides,” said Lam. “The Dragons’ side will be brimming with confidence on their home patch after a big win last week and we know the challenge we face.
Boris Stankovich is the only change to the Dragons side that defeated Leinster at the RDS last weekend. The 34-year-old loosehead prop is joined by fellow prop Brok Harris and hooker Thomas Rhys Thomas. Newport: J Tovey, T Prydie, P Leach, J Dixon, H Amos, D Jones, J Evans; B Stankovich, T. Rhys Thomas, B Harris, A Coombs, R Landman (c), J Thomas, N Cudd, N Crosswell. Replacements: R Buckley, P Price, D Way, I Gough, J Benjamin, R Rees, A Smith, M Pewtner.
Connacht: D Leader; D Poolman, D McSharry, C Ronaldson, M Healy; J Carty, J Cooney; D Buckley, T McCartney, N White, Q Roux, A Muldowney, J Muldoon (C), J Heenan, E Masterson. Replacements - S Delahunt, R Ah You, F Bealham, M Kearney, G Naoupu, I Porter, N Adeolokun, T O'Halloran.
Referee: L Linton (SRU).
Verdict: home win
