NEWPORT Gwent Dragons will hand a first home appearance to Robson Blake in Sunday’s Anglo-Welsh Cup clash with Newcastle at Rodney Parade.

The 21-year-old back row forward has earned a professional deal thanks to his exploits with Bedwas in the Principality Premiership and made his regional bow off the bench at Leicester in November.

Blake, from Powys, impressed for the Dragons Premiership Select XV against Ealing and Bedford in the British and Irish Cup in recent weeks and is set to be named among the replacements to face the Falcons.

The tree surgeon is training with the Dragons two days a week until the summer and will then go full-time for 2017/18 with the option for another year.

“Robson has been excellent and we want to get him involved after his performances in the BIC,” said forwards coach Ceri Jones.

“Bedwas have done a fantastic job in developing him, so credit to them in everything they’ve done.

“He’s a big man and his ball carrying is superb. He is raw, really raw, but we need to look at him and see if we can develop him.

“Sunday is a huge opportunity for him, as it is for a lot of other players, and it’s up to him now in how he stands up.”

The Dragons are set to tinker with the side that lost at Brive last Saturday, a defeat that knocked them out of the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Scrum-half Charlie Davies and back row forward James Thomas are set to feature while fly-half Dorian Jones and wing/centre Adam Hughes are likely to continue their comebacks from long-term injuries.

“We have a very proud home record and need to win to keep that going so will go as strong as possible,” said Ceri Jones.

“But we are also looking to give other people opportunities, a few others have been on the fringes and we’d like to get them involved.”

Wales wing Hallam Amos is still on target for a mid-February return from the shoulder injury he suffered attempting to score against Australia in November and has been doing skills work in Dragons training.

The Dragons can still qualify for the semi-finals of the Anglo-Welsh Cup but need to beat Newcastle then Gloucester a week on Saturday while hoping other results go their way.