Turner: Keep the dream alive

While Bristol have named a near full-strength pack, Dragons coach Turner is more concerned about the 16 tries wingers Lee Robinson and David Lemi have bagged between them already this season.

A win for the English side will make quarter-final qualification a mere formality as Guinness Premiership high-fliers Bristol lead Pool One by three points. Defeat for the second-placed Dragons would end their Euro dream.

Bristol’s pack includes British Lions hooker Mark Regan, ex-Wales lock Gareth Llewellyn and England squad member No.8 Dan Ward-Smith, but after they scraped past the Dragons 11-7 last October, Turner says the Welsh must meet fire with fire.

Turner said: “It’s a myth that Bristol are a wet-weather side as they have plenty of pace behind in wingers David Lemi and Lee Robinson, who are a potent attacking combination.

“Bristol only tend to release the ball wide when some honest, hard work has been done first. Then they really punish you. I had hoped Bristol would put their second team out, but we have coped their full-strength side.

“This has been one of the wettest Welsh winters I can remember; I am just hoping for a dry night, which would help us and allow us to move the ball wide and get those big Bristol forwards moving around the park. There is probably no better rugby surface in Wales than the Rodney Parade pitch and a break in the rain would suit both sides and make for a better game all-round.”

The Dragons have made three changes to the side who beat European champions Munster last time out. Alex Walker replaces Gareth Cooper at scrum half, Wales U21 cap Kieran Crawford starts at hooker, while ex-Wales captain Colin Charvis moves to No.8 and Andrew Hall comes in at blind side flanker.

Bristol captain Matt Salter makes his first start since October 15th when he dislocated his shoulder against Harlequins. A win would all but clinch the group for Bristol with a home tie against Bucuresti next Friday to come.

However, a win for the Dragons would mean that the group would go down to the wire and they would travel to Bayonne next week needing a win to make sure.

Dragons: K Morgan (capt), G Wyatt, P Emerick, A Smith, A Brew, C Sweeney, A Walker, A Black, K Crawford, L Harrison, I Gough, P Sidoli, A Hall, J Ringer, C Charvis

Replacements: R Wilkes, D Maddocks, M Owen, N Fitisemanu, G Baber, M Hercus, A Thomas

Bristol: C Morgan, L Robinson, S Cox, J Taumalolo, D Lemi, D Hill, B O’Riordan, D Hilton, M Regan, D Crompton, R Winters, G Llewellyn, A To’oala, M Salter (c), D Ward-Smith

Replacements: S Nelson, W Thompson, M Sambucetti, C Short, G Nicholls, J Strange, W Pozzebon