Dragons Face Uphill Battle Against Glasgow Warriors in United Rugby Championship Clash

Key Absences Impact Dragons

Wales internationals Dan Lydiate and Taine Basham will miss the crucial United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Glasgow Warriors, dealing a significant blow to the Dragons' hopes of turning their season around. Head coach Filo Tiatia is also without number eight Aaron Wainwright and scrum-half Rhodri Williams, both of whom are with Wales' Six Nations squad.

Team Changes and Debuts

Injuries and national team commitments have forced Tiatia to reshuffle his squad. Scott Williams, a former Wales, Scarlets, and Ospreys center, is set to make his Dragons debut after being considered for a contract since October. Flanker George Young joins Ryan Woodman in the back row, while Shane Lewis-Hughes shifts to number eight. George Nott returns to the second row, and hooker James Benjamin is set to play his 100th game for the region.

Glasgow's Strong Form

Glasgow Warriors, currently second in the URC table, are bolstered by the return of several players from Scotland's Six Nations camp, including George Horne and Jamie Bhatti. The Warriors have been in strong form, with seven wins from ten games, and their only loss in the last five rounds was a narrow 10-7 defeat at Edinburgh in December.

Historical Context

Dragons are at the bottom of the URC table, having not won since the opening day of the season. Their recent form has been poor, with nine consecutive defeats, including a devastating 21-point loss in just four minutes against Munster last month. Historically, Dragons have struggled against Scottish opponents, with their last victory over a Scottish team coming in March 2021 against Edinburgh.

Coach's Perspective

Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia acknowledged the challenge ahead: 'Glasgow are coached really well. I know Franco Smith, and he runs a good ship. They're a strong attacking side, and you can expect the unexpected. We're under no illusion how challenging this task will be. But we are at home and looking forward to playing in front of our people.'

Match Details

Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Date: Sunday, 16 February
Kick-off: 14:00 GMT

Teams

Dragons: Huw Anderson; Rio Dyer, Harry Wilson, Aneurin Owen (capt), Jared Rosser; Lloyd Evans, Dane Blacker; Josh Reynolds, James Benjamin, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, George Nott, Ryan Woodman, George Young, Shane Lewis-Hughes. Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Rhodri Jones, Paula Latu, Barny Langton-Cryer, Evan Minto, Che Hope, Will Reed, Scott Williams.

Glasgow: Josh McKay; Sebastian Cancelliere, Ollie Smith, Duncan Munn, Facundo Cordero; Duncan Weir (capt), George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Grant Stewart, Fin Richardson, Jare Oguntibeju, Alex Samuel, Euan Ferrie, Henco Venter, Jack Mann. Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Nathan McBeth, Patrick Schickerling, Ally Miller, Angus Fraser, Macenzzie Duncan, Ben Afshar, Kerr Johnston.