JONATHAN Evans is determined to wrestle the number 9 jersey off Richie Rees and get his Newport Gwent Dragons career back on track.

The 22-year-old scrum-half is poised to make his first start for the region since January when he lines up in the Guinness Pro12 opener against Connacht in Galway tomorrow.

Evans went from player of the season in 2012/13 to playing second fiddle to Rees last term, making just five starts in a frustrating, injury-ravaged campaign.

But he wore 9 in the region's pre-season successes against Bristol and Northampton to earn a chance to impress at the Sportsground and Evans is determined to make up for lost time.

He said: "I had a really bad season with injuries, starting with a hamstring pull in pre-season then I did my shoulder against Wasps in November and then ended up rupturing the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in my knee. I spent three or four months in the physio room.

"I played every game the previous season but I went from a really good year to sitting on the sidelines watching Richie have a stormer; he had a good first season here and I couldn't do anything about it.

"But I've stayed fit and had a full pre-season so now I just have to concentrate on my form and retaining the 9 jersey.

"Bristol was my first start for the region since January and I have to get game time under my belt because the more you play, the more confident you become."

The Dragons were edged out by Dan Parks' last-gasp drop goal in the corresponding fixture last season and Evans hopes that the arrival of a core of seasoned campaigners can help them turn narrow defeats into narrow victories.

"We suffered a bit from inexperience last season but Lyn (Jones, director of rugby) has signed a lot of older players," said Evans.

"People like Ian Gough and Boris Stankovich are leaders and that will make a hell of a difference.

"When it gets down to the hard parts of the game, when we are in the 75th minute and are trailing by a couple of points, they are the ones that we can turn to."