Davies, who came off the bench last weekend against Benetton Treviso, joins Scott Williams in the Scarlets midfield while Felatau packs down at the back of the Dragons scrum alongside Jevon Groves and Lewis Evans.
On his first Welsh derby of the season Evans said, “We like to test ourselves against our Welsh counterparts as it’s good to see where we are and to also try and get rid of the fourth region tag. I think that this game is massive for us to keep developing.
“Now we are at home we want to make Rodney Parade a fortress and we just need to keep going in the right direction.
“You could see that when we played Ulster, but last season that winning mentality wasn’t here and Lyn Jones (Dragons head coach) has come here and changed my mindset. He has had an immediate impact as we have beaten one of the top sides in Europe.”
The Dragons also see Tom Prydie step back into action on the wing after a slight ankle injury he incurred against Ulster. Ross Wardle and U20’s International Jack Dixon provide a new centre partnership for the hosts while Andrew Coombs skippers the Dragons from the second row.
The Scarlets field a strong side containing eight senior internationals in their starting line-up including Scottish international back row John Barclay.
Scarlets Head Coach Simon Easterby said while the depth of his squad was not comparable to some of the clubs in the league, the versatility of his back line was a positive for the region.
“We’ve got a number of talented players in our backs who can readily adapt to different positions on the field. It’s important we get as much quality and experience on the field as possible and we’ll work with different combinations to suit our game plan.
“The derbies always have an extra edge to them and with Lyn (Jones) and Kingsley (Jones) on board in Newport now we know how well-prepared and up for this game their players will be.
“It’ll be a high intensity and physical game and the Scarlets are looking forward to the contest.
“It’s great to have the added motivation of a Welsh derby so early in the season. Hopefully with decent conditions, it’ll be a good night and platform for Welsh regional rugby.”
