TEAM NEWS
18-year-old Dragons winger, Rio Dyer will make his Guinness Pro14 debut against Benetton tomorrow at Rodney Parade, a week after earning his first Wales U20s cap. Alongside him will be Hallam Amos who has again returned from Wales camp for this weekend's clash after his man of the match performance last Friday and Jared Rosser who finished off a length of the field move Amos began last Friday.
Amongst the Forwards there is the welcome return of Lewis Evans who has been absent with injury since October.
Dragons Team:
15 Hallam Amos, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Jack Dixon, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Zane Kirchner, 9 Dan Babos; 1 Sam Hobbs, 2 Liam Belcher, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Joe Davies, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Harri Keddie (c), 7 Aaron Wainwright, 8 Lewis Evans.
Replacements; Ellis Shipp, Gerard Ellis, Leon Brown, Henri Williams, Lennon Greggains, Sarel Pretorius, Arwel Robson, Connor Edwards.
For Benetton Alberto Sgarbi skippers his side at flanker, making his 200th appearance for the team and having played almost every minute of every game so far for his club this season.
15. Ian McKinley, 14 Luca Sperandio, 13 Tommaso Iannone, 12 Luca Morisi, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Marty Banks, 9 Tito Tebaldi, 1 Matteo Zanusso, 2 Tomas Baravalle, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 4 Marco Lazzaroni, 5 Irné Hebst, 6 Alberto Sgarbi (c), 7 Marco Barbini, 8 Whetu Douglas
Replacements: Hame Faiva, Federico Zani, Cherif Traore, Marco Fuser, Francesco Minto, Giorgio Bronzini, Marco Zanon, Andrea Bronzini
MATCH DAY ENTERTAINMENT
The We Fight Any Claim Family Zone is open from 1pm for the game and there will be plenty going on. There will be children’s activities pre-match including free face painting, and there will also be a chance for you to collect Dragons player autographs. There will be live music after the match from our resident band RETROSPECT, and after the final whistle all drinks in the marquee are just £2.50. Plus, there is a special offer for Season Ticket Holders; buy one pint and a friend gets one for free in the Watkin bar (Hazel), Concourse bars (Bisley) and in the marquee (Carling and Worthington's only)
TOP TIPS FOR ENJOYING THE GAME
1. Arrive Early: Come and enjoy the atmosphere at Rodney Parade and avoid the rush, with our We Fight Any Claim Family zone open from 1pm and gates open an hour and half before kick-off.
Pre-match there’s the chance to collect autographs with Dragons players in the marquee and you can get pre-match drinks and a bite to eat, plus plenty of activities for children.
2. Cash is King: Payments at the food and drink units and any ticket upgrades you may need to purchase are cash only. The nearest cash points are on Clarence Place and Corporation Road should you require one.
3. Don’t forget your tickets: No duplicate tickets will be issued, so bring your tickets, particularly if you selected Print@Home.
4. Check the ground regulations: Please refrain from going on the pitch which is strictly off limit. This is to ensure you adhere to the Stadium Ground Regulations.
5. Stay onside: There are plenty of bars around the ground so please do not bring alcohol onto the premises as it is prohibited within our Ground Regulations. Remember Rodney Parade is a family venue so please respect your fellow supporters.
6. Enjoy: We want you to have a great night out supporting the Dragons so have a great day and enjoy your visit to Rodney Parade.
7. There will be live music after the match from RETROSPECT in the We Fight Any Claim Family Zone.
8. Win: Our Friars Walk match partners are Skechers who are giving ticket holders and season members a 15% discount in store next weekend, as well as rewarding tomorrow's man of the match with free shoes for him and his family, whilst one supporter will also get to take away a pair of trainers if they win the Predict the 1st Dragons Try scorer competition.
CLICK HERE to enter and make your prediction
COMMUNITY ACTIVITY
The Guard of Honour teams will again enjoy the match day experience and soak up the atmosphere as they ‘parade around the pitch’ at halftime. Please give Whiteheads RFC, Oakdale and St Julian's HSOB RFC a big cheer as they pass! We would like to give a big thanks to our clubs for their amazing support.
MATCH DAY CHARITY
Friday’s matchday collection is for St Woolos Rotary Club, Newport. Please give generously.
RODNEY PARADE TRAVEL
For an update on how to get to Rodney Parade, please click here.
Supporters are urged to respect our local residents when travelling to and from the stadium.
Please remember, if you are attending a match at Rodney Parade and have an issue, please contact your nearest steward. Following a game, you can email any observations, complaints or issues to info@dragonsrugby.wales
Enjoy the game and here's a reminder of how last year's clash ended in favour of the Dragons.
