THE Dragons will host Northampton, and potentially Wales fly-half Dan Biggar, in a pre-season friendly at Rodney Parade.
The Saints will visit Newport on Friday, August 17 (kick-off 7.30pm) after Bernard Jackman’s men entertain big-spending English Championship promotion hopefuls Ealing Trailfinders at Bedwas’ Bridge Field on Saturday, August 11 (kick-off 2.30pm).
Earlier in the year it was announced that the Dragons will conclude their Guinness PRO14 preparations with a trip to Gloucester on Thursday, August 23 (kick-off 7.45pm).
Northampton are familiar foes in tune-ups and last summer dished out a 71-21 hammering at Franklins Gardens, albeit against a very inexperienced side in a friendly played a day after a more seasoned team had lost in Montpellier.
The Aviva Premiership side also triumphed when they hosted the Dragons in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in November.
The Saints, then English champions, visited Ebbw Vale’s Eugene Cross Park in the summer of 2014 and were stunned 27-25.
The Dragons hosted the Trailfinders in the summer of 2016 when an experimental side was overpowered by the visitors.
That clash could provide a swift return to Gwent for wing/centre Pat Howard and a reunion with his old Ealing teammates for hooker Rhys Lawrence.
The Gloucester game is the final warm-up for the start of the season and could provide Ross Moriarty and Richard Hibbard with swift returns to the west country.
The Dragons did not play a Rodney Parade friendly in 2017 because the new hybrid pitch was being given time to settle.
Dragons friendlies:
Ealing Trailfinders – Saturday, August 11 at Bedwas (kick-off 2.30pm)
Northampton – Friday, August 17 at Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.30pm)
Gloucester – Thursday, August 23 at Kingsholm (kick-off 7.45pm)
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