WINGER Ashton Hewitt returns to the Dragons XV for tomorrow’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Connacht at Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.35pm).
The speedster missed last weekend’s 52-28 win at Zebre after suffering a nasty cut to his lip in the season opener at Munster that required 14 stitches.
Hewitt returns in place of Will Talbot-Davies as one of three changes to the startling line-up that ended the four-and-a-half year PRO14 away drought.
Adam Warren comes in for Jack Dixon in midfield while hard-working Huw Taylor gets the nod in place of Harrison Keddie in the back row, with Lewis Evans moving from blindside to number eight.
"Will Talbot-Davies was outstanding at the weekend and we were nervous about not having Ashton there," said director of rugby Dean Ryan. "Now the pressure is on Ashton to come in and play well."
Loosehead Ryan Bevington has recovered from a knee injury to be among the replacements while Ellis Shipp is preferred to Rhys Lawrence as hooker cover for Richard Hibbard.
Connacht make just one change to the XV from last weekend’s six-try 41-5 win against Benetton in Galway with Australian winger John Porch making a first competitive start for the Irish province.
“I was really pleased with the performance last weekend, so with a six-day turnaround we’ve selected much the same squad to keep the momentum going,” said Connacht boss Andy Friend.
“Rodney Parade is a tough place to go and with the Dragons playing a more expansive game this season we know our defence has to be on top form, but we also need to be clinical in attack when opportunities arise.”
Connacht have two players on World Cup duty with Ireland – fly-half Jack Carty and centre Bundee Aki.
Prop Finlay Bealham, lock Ultan Dillane and scrum-half Kieran Marmion were in Joe Schmidt’s squad this summer failed to make the final cut for Japan. All three feature in Newport.
Dragons: J Williams, O Jenkins, T Morgan, A Warren, A Hewitt, S Davies, R Williams (captain); B Harris, R Hibbard, L Brown, J Davies, M Screech, H Taylor, T Basham, L Evans.
Replacements: E Shipp, R Bevington, L Fairbrother, M Williams, H Keddie, T Knoyle, J Botica, J Dixon.
Connacht: T O’Halloran, J Porch, K Godwin, P Robb, M Healy, C Fitzgerald, C Blade, P McAllister, T McCartney, F Bealham, G Thornbury, Q Roux, E Masterson, J Butler (captain), P Boyle.
Replacements: S Delahunt, D Buckley, D Robertson-McCoy, U Dillane, C Gallagher, K Marmion, T Farrell, S Fitzgerald.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
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