Connacht v Dragons (Sat)

MAGNERS LEAGUE
Venue: Sportsground Date: Saturday, 4 September Kick-off: 1730 BST Coverage: Score updates on BBC Sport website, highlights on Sunday's Scrum V

---

Dragons coach Paul Turner ponders 'offloadathon'

Paul Turner has handed a Dragons debuts to flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor and lock Scott Morgan as they target their first win in Connacht in six years.

No 8 Hugo Ellis, who joined from Wasps and former Worcester fly-half Matthew Jones also start for the first time.

That sees Jason Tovey switched to full-back while Daniel Lydiate, Gavin Thomas and Rob Sidoli are all on the bench.

The Dragons are also without captain Tom Willis who has been sidelined with a rib injury; Luke Charteris deputises.

Full-back Martyn Thomas, centre Matthew Watkins and number eight Toby Faletau are long-term injury absentees, while wing Nathan Brew, centre Ashley Smith and scrum-half Wayne Evans are out.

Scrum-half Danny Lee plays his first game since New Year's Eve.

Frank Murphy will skipper the Connacht side from scrum-half with Irish internationals Sean Cronin and Gavin Duffy making their returns following summer tours with the National side.

New signing Ezra Taylor is included at number eight while Cillian Willis and Rob Sweeney will look to make a big impact from the bench.

Connacht have won four of their last five home games against the Dragons at the Sportsground.

"It'll be a tough ask at Galway, it's usually our graveyard," Turner acknowledged.

"Connacht has never been a happy hunting ground for us, it's always a difficult place to go but we have to win there sometime."

The Dragons enjoyed their highest Magners League finish in the inaugural 2003-04 season - the year the 'Men of Gwent' last won at the Sportsground - when they finished third behind the Scarlets and Ulster.

606: DEBATE For me Turner has looked at building depth rather than strengthening our first XV and rightly so monte_fisto

The Rodney Parade region have won four of their last five opening league games of the season but victory at their Galway bogey ground could send a big message to their league rivals by last season's surprise package.

The Dragons only won once away in the Magners League last season as their play-off push was inspired by the home form of Turner's team at their home fortress where they lost just twice last term.

And Connacht, who have suffered just one home defeat in six league games, have won four of their last five Sportsground games against Welsh visitors.

The Dragons have also only won once in Ireland in their last 24 visits, which was a 16-14 victory at Ulster in September 2008.

Dragons centre Rhodri Gomer-Davies wants road trip success

But Magners coach of the year Turner says it will take a couple of games for his team to "really get going" after pre-season defeats against London Irish and Cardiff Blues.

Connacht, who have suffered just one home defeat in six league games, have won four of their last five Sportsground games against Welsh visitors.

The Men of Gwent's single win in Ireland in their last 24 visits was 16-14 at Ulster on 19 September 2008

---

Connacht: Gavin Duffy; Troy Nathan, Niva Taauso, Keith Matthews, Fionn Carr; Ian Keatley, Frank Murphy (captain); Brett Wilkinson, Sean Cronin, Jamie Hagan; Michael Swift, Bernie Upton; Michael McCarthy, Ray Ofisa, Ezra Taylor.
Replacements: Adrian Flavin, Ronan Loughney, Rob Sweeney, Dave Nolan, Mike McComish, Cillian Willis, Miah Nikora, Tiernan O'Halloran.

Dragons: Jason Tovey; Will Harries, Rhodri Gomer-Davies, Tom Riley, Aled Brew; Matthew Jones, Danny Lee; Hugh Gustafson, Steve Jones, Ben Castle, Luke Charteris (c), Scott Morgan, Joe Bearman, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Hugo Ellis.
Replacements: Lloyd Burns, Pat Palmer, Ali McKenzie, Rob Sidoli, Danny Lydiate, Gavin Thomas, Nicky Griffiths, David Bishop.

Referee: Mr James Jones (Wales)