GAVIN Henson is set for his first action since the opening day of the season after being named on the Dragons’ bench for tomorrow’s European Challenge Cup game against Timisoara Saracens at Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.30pm).

The 36-year-old former Wales playmaker will be joined among the replacements by influential back row forward Ollie Griffiths, who has been out of action since suffering a knee injury at Northampton at the start of December.

Henson started at fly-half in the Guinness PRO14 defeat to Benetton on opening weekend but has not taken to the field since because of a knee problem.

He was named on the bench for the Challenge Cup trip to Clermont Auvergne in December because of Arwel Robson’s late hamstring injury but that was ahead of schedule and he did not come on.

Henson, who is out of contract at the end of the season and highly unlikely to remain in Newport, is set to make a cameo tomorrow as part of a much-changed Dragons side after their bruising festive derbies.

Caretaker boss Ceri Jones makes 11 changes to the XV that lost 22-13 at the Scarlets with Hallam Amos the only one of his Wales Six Nations hopefuls to feature, and that sees the wing/full-back returning to midfield.

The 24-year-old started at outside centre on his return from a dislocated elbow in the November loss to Connacht in Galway.

Former Wales and Lions hooker Richard Hibbard is captain and retained in the starting line-up along with Amos, inside centre Jack Dixon and lock Matthew Screech.

South Wales Argus:

Three players make their first starts for the Dragons – 20-year-old blindside Ben Fry, who impressed in the friendly against Russia last autumn, 20-year-old tighthead Chris Coleman and scrum-half Rhodri Davies, who signed from Rotherham last summer.

Fly-half Jason Tovey, who was registered for Europe this week after signing from Cross Keys until the end of the season, will be charged with unleashing a rapid set of backs that features a back three of Jordan Williams, Dafydd Howells and Will Talbot-Davies.

Mobility is the key with Wales 7s international James Benjamin named at number eight.

The Dragons beat the Saracens 54-17 in Timisoara in October but cannot qualify for the quarter-finals after a pair of losses to Northampton and defeat in Clermont.

Jones is likely to bring back his big guns for the encounter with the Top 14 giants at Rodney Parade next Friday, including his Wales internationals before they leave for Six Nations camp.

Timisoara's XV features 11 players that took on the Dragons in October.


Dragons: J Williams, D Howells, H Amos, J Dixon, W Talbot-Davies, J Tovey, R Davies, G Ellis, R Hibbard (captain), C Coleman, J Davies, M Screech, B Fry, N Cudd, J Benjamin. Replacements: R Lawrence, D Suter, N Thomas, H Taylor, O Griffiths, R Williams, J Sage, G Henson.

Timisoara Saracens: M Simionescu; DV Zaharia, T Manumua, F Popa; S Shennan; L Samoa; G Conache (captain), S Taupaki, E Capatina, H Pungea , D Lazar, M Iftimiciuc, T Whitehurst, V Neculau, M Stewart.
Replacements: A Radoi, G Militaru, S Halalilo, I Muresan, V Rus, G Rupanu, V Moala, G Tatarus.