LIVEWIRE full-back Jordan Williams will make his Dragons return in tomorrow’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Connacht at Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.35pm).
The 27-year-old has been out of action since scoring a double in the round two encounter with Zebre on October 9.
Williams ruptured knee ligaments against Enisei-STM in November 2019 but made a swift recovery to make a surprise return in September’s European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Bristol.
He scored twice and made four clean breaks against Zebre only to then be sidelined by what director of rugby Dean Ryan called “tightness in his leg” and then a hamstring injury.
Williams starts at 15 in a Dragons team that is boosted by the return of fly-half Sam Davies after a calf injury forced him to miss all three festive derbies.
Flanker Ben Fry is also back after he suffered a torn bicep in the November win in Benetton while prop Greg Bateman is on the bench.
The experienced loosehead suffered a serious hamstring injury at Ulster in October, his first start following a summer move from Leicester.
Richard Hibbard starts at hooker in the absence of Wales hooker Elliot Dee with Lloyd Fairbrother to his right in the scrum while tighthead Leon Brown is also on Six Nations duty.
Lock Joe Maksymiw gets the nod in the second row to face his former teammates and he is partnered by 20-year-old prospect Ben Carter.
Wales internationals Jonah Holmes (head injury) and Ross Moriarty (ankle) are still on the comeback trail and could come into the mix for Edinburgh next week while wing Jared Rosser, scrum-half Tavis Knoyle and lock Matthew Screech are all injured.
Chris Coleman has been preferred to former Wales prop Aaron Jarvis as Fairbrother’s back-up.
Dragons: J Williams; O Jenkins, J Dixon, J Roberts, A Hewitt; S Davies, R Williams (captain); B Harris, R Hibbard, L Fairbrother, B Carter, J Maksymiw, H Taylor, B Fry, H Keddie.
Replacements: E Shipp, G Bateman, C Coleman, J Davies, L Evans, L Baldwin, J Lewis, A Owen.
Connacht: J Porch; P Sullivan, T Daly, P Robb, M Healy; J Carty, C Blade; D Buckley, S Delahunt, F Bealham, N Murray, G Thornbury, P Doyle (captain), C Oliver, A Papali’i.
Replacements: J Murphy, J Duggan, J Aungier, O Dowling, E Masterson, K Marmion, S O’Brien, A Wootton.
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
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