Seventeen-year-old Hallam Amos will make his first RaboDirect PRO12 start at full back in place of Will Harries who went off injured last week. It will be Amos’s second start for the Dragons after playing in the LV= Cup victory away at London Wasps earlier in the season.
At the other end of the experience scale, Luke Charteris is named in the starting line-up and will make his 100th RaboDirect PRO12 appearance on Friday night.
The other change in the backs comes at scrum half where Wayne Evans starts in place of Joe Bedford.
There are two changes in the pack, Steve Jones replaces Sam Parry at hooker and Jevon Groves starts at lock alongside Rob Sidoli who is fast approaching 2000 minutes of rugby this season, having played an incredible 1952 minutes for the Dragons already.
Sidoli replaces Luke Charteris who failed a fitness test on his shoulder. Charteris’ absence means he will once again miss out on making his 100th RaboDirect PRO12 appearance. Rob Sidoli comes into the starting line-up in his place with Andrew Coombs on the bench.
Pat Leach is named on the bench and could be in line to make his first appearance since breaking his hand in the match between these sides in the LV= Cup match at the Brewery Field in January.
Newport Gwent Dragons 15 Hallam Amos 14 Tonderai Chavhanga 13 Adam Hughes 12 Ashley Smith 11 Aled Brew
10 Lewis Robling 9 Wayne Evans; 1 Nathan Williams 2 Steve Jones 3 Nathan Buck 4 Robert Sidoli 5 Jevon Groves 6 Danny Lydiate 7 Lewis Evans 8 Toby Faletau
Replacements 16 Sam Parry 17 Phil Price 18 Dan Way 19 Andrew Coombes 20 Tom Brown 21 Joe Bedford 22 Martyn Thomas 23 Pat Leach
