Dragons target discipline
THE Dragons welcome back a host of Wales internationals, including Ross Moriarty, as they face Leinster at Rodney Parade tonight (5.15pm) in the Guinness PRO14.
Moriarty had suffered a head injury on Wales duty in last week’s clash with South Africa, but he has recovered and is named on the bench.
Joining Moriarty as replacements are fellow Wales squad members Elliot Dee, Leon Brown and Cory Hill, while Aaron Wainwright starts at flanker just seven days after helping Wales secure their first ever autumn clean sweep.
Wainwright is the Dragons’ only change from the side that beate Edinburgh 18-12 last weekend – their third victory of the season.
However, they come up against a Leinster team that humiliated the Ospreys last weekend, hammering them 52-7.
Coach Bernard Jackman, who will again be absent from Rodney Parade following a stadium ban, said: “When Leinster hit top form they can be devastating, as we saw when they beat Wasps in Europe and last week against Ospreys.
“When we played them in round three we played 25 minutes with 14 men and it was difficult.
“Our discipline has to be spot on and the improvement with our defence needs to continue.
“It will be tested under the most extreme circumstances and we have to be ready.”
Dragons: J Williams; J Rosser, T Morgan, J Sage, H Amos; J Tovey, R Williams; R Bevington, R Hibbard, L Fairbrother, RLandman, L Evans, H Keddie, A Wainwright, O Griffiths. Reps: E Dee, A Jarvis, L Brown, C Hill, R Moriarty, T Knoyle, A Robson, A Warren.
Leinster: H Keenan; A Byrne, J O’Brien, C O’Brien, D Kearney; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; E Byrne, J Tracy, M Bent, R Moloney, S Fardy (c), J Murphy, S penny, C Doris. Reps: B Bryan, P Dooley, A Porter, M Kearney, M Deegan, P Patterson, C Frawley, T Daly.
Referee: Lloyd Linton (Sco).