In the forwards, Peter Sidoli replaces Luke Charteris, who is suffering with a rib injury. Neil Edwards provides the cover on the bench. The Dragons need a bonus-point win against an injury-stricken Falcons and hope Perpignan are held by Edinburgh to go through to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.
“We are in with a shout – along with Newcastle and Perpignan – of progressing to the quarter-finals and all three of us know that we have to win our final matches to have any chance,” Dragons team manager Jim McCreedy said. “However, Newcastle are in the driving seat. If they beat us, that is that – they win the pool and are in the quarter-finals.”