Match Preview: Dragons

Dave Rennie
and his side will be looking to claim back-to-back victories over Welsh opposition,
having claimed a 17-13 victory over Cardiff Blues at Scotstoun last time out.

A blistering
start was backed up by a resolute defensive effort under the floodlights in
Glasgow’s west end, as the Warriors secured a first win of the 2019/20 campaign.

The Dean
Ryan-led Dragons are next up for Rennie and company, with the two sides set to
face off at Rodney Parade on Saturday afternoon.

Here’s how
the match is shaping up:

Dragons
form guide

The men of
Gwent currently sit fourth in Guinness PRO14 Conference A, level on points with
the Warriors after three rounds of the new campaign.

An opening
round visit to Munster saw the Dragons leave empty-handed, as the Irishmen
overpowered their visitors 39-9 at Thomond Park.

The Welsh
outfit recovered in style just a week later, however, as a Jordan
Williams-inspired performance saw them record a 52-28 victory away to Zebre.

Yet that
momentum was quelled in their opening home fixture of the new season, falling
to a 38-14 defeat to Connacht at Rodney Parade in their most recent fixture.

Off-season
farewells

The Dragons
said so long to a host of internationals over the summer, with Wales winger
Hallam Amos headlining the departures by making the switch to Cardiff Blues.

Gavin Henson
was another to say his goodbyes to Rodney Parade, joining South African
full-back Zane Kirchner in departing South Wales in the off-season.

Experienced
club stalwarts Rynard Landman and Jason Tovey also left the club, alongside
scrum-half Rhodri Davies and centre Jarryd Sage.

New
arrivals

Wales
international fly-half Sam Davies was the headline signing for the Dragons
during the off-season, with the 26-year-old pivot arriving in Newport following
seven years with the Ospreys.

Former
Edinburgh prop Jack Cosgrove was another to pitch up at Rodney Parade ahead of
the 2019/20 season after signing from Worcester Warriors, with the Scotland U20
cap joined by scrum-half Luke Baldwin in making the switch from Sixways.

A brace of
Wales Sevens internationals also linked up with Ryan’s men on short-term deals,
with Owen Jenkins and Ben Roach providing cover during the Rugby World Cup
period.

Ones to
watch

After making
a staggering 195m with ball in hand in the victory over Zebre, Jordan Williams
will be a man on every Guinness PRO14 outfit’s radar this season. Blessed with
rapid acceleration and a sidestep capable of troubling any defender in world
rugby, the full-back – who started his career at the Scarlets before joining
Bristol – is likely to be the spark for the Dragons attack.

Having
produced a young back-rower taking Wales and the world by storm in the form of
Aaron Wainwright, the Dragons will be hoping that Harrison Keddie will soon be
following in his footsteps. A Wales U20 international, the 23-year-old is
capable of playing across the back-row and has caught the eye with his dynamic
ball-carrying in his appearances over recent seasons.

Speaking of
dynamic ball-carriers, expect Leon Brown to make a significant impression if
selected for Saturday’s encounter. The young prop is already a Welsh international,
having made his debut against Australia in November 2017 and been in contention
for a place in the Wales squad for the Rugby World Cup.

Previous
Meetings

The sole
meeting between the two sides last season went the way of the Warriors, as a
Huw Jones brace saw Rennie’s men claim a 29-13 win at Scotstoun.

Oli Kebble’s
fourth-minute score set the home side on their way, with Lee Jones and Alex
Dunbar also touching down in a bonus-point victory.

Glasgow’s
last visit to Newport was a far more even affair, however – indeed, the sides
couldn’t be separated in a 15-15 draw back in February 2018.

In a strange
quirk, all of the game’s points came in the first half; Liam Belcher and Jared
Rosser’s scores for the Welshmen were cancelled out by Brandon Thomson and
George Horne, with Zane Kirchner and Adam Hastings contributing five points for
their respective sides with the boot.