TOBY Faletau will drop to the Newport Gwent Dragons bench for Saturday’s clash with Munster.

Tom Brown, who has been a replacement in all three games this season, will get the nod for the RaboDirect Pro12 encounter at Thomond Park.

So far this campaign Faletau has failed to hit the heights that propelled him to stardom in the Wales back row.

However, there were mitigating circumstances in last weekend’s deflating loss to Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade.

The 21-year-old suffered a dead leg and it is that injury that prevents him from being a starter in Limerick, although it was likely that Brown would have been given a chance anyway.

“There is no point having these guys playing half fit because you just don’t get out what you need from them,” said head coach Darren Edwards.

“Toby was good at the contact area against the Blues, and that’s something that we have been working on with him, but everybody loves to see him making breaks and he is not quite at his usual level.

“His dead leg means that Tom gets a game and as a flat our ball carrier he is suited to what we are going to face in Munster. He is very abrasive and we will need that confrontational edge.

“Tom is desperate for a game and we do need to play some of these guys (who have not featured) or they will start to lose their conditioning, and we cannot afford that.”

The Dragons adopted the same no-risk policy they are taking with Faletau when they headed over the Irish Sea to face Leinster a fortnight ago.

On that occasion Dan Lydiate, who was struggling with a minor chest injury, was left out of their travelling party altogether.