Dragons' depth test against Zebre amid Wales calls

Dragons will attempt to showcase their deeper squad by avoiding a Zebre banana skin despite a long injury list and Wales absentees.

Filo Tiatia's men end the first block of the season against the winless Italians in the United Rugby Championship (URC) at Rodney Parade on Saturday (17:30 GMT).

Dragons do so without their five members of Wales' Nations Championship squad - centre Aneurin Owen, scrum-half Che Hope, tight-head prop Dillon Lewis and locks Ben Carter and Seb Davies.

Wing Rio Dyer was a sixth player to get the initial call-up, but he was released after a hamstring strain suffered in defeat by Ospreys last weekend.

He is on a 12-strong injury list, but co-captain Angus O'Brien, himself back from a leg niggle, is confident Dragons will cope.

"We've developed competition right throughout the squad over the past couple of years," said the full-back.

"We want as many boys in that Wales set-up as possible and it's really exciting to see those names in there because they have worked their socks off.

"For those of us playing at the weekend it's about stepping up, and feel confident we have the ability across the squad to do that."

The result against Zebre will determine whether Dragons' first block of the season can be considered solid or a disappointment.

They started with a draw at Benetton and have since played four fixtures in Wales, beating Scarlets in the URC and Perpignan in the Challenge Cup in Newport.

Ospreys won at Rodney Parade and completed a double when winning 31-14 in horrendous conditions at the revamped St Helen's last Saturday.

That was Dragons' first poor performance of the season and a response is needed against a Zebre team who have not won in the URC since 5 October, 2025.

Tiatia's side won twice in Parma in April when they backed up a Challenge Cup quarter-final victory with a last-minute league success.

"Zebre's results don't reflect their performances. They are a dogged side who are difficult to put away," said attack coach Matt O'Brien.

"They play some expansive rugby and it will be a challenge, but hopefully we can repeat the results from last season."

If Dragons win with a try bonus then they will be halfway towards last season's tally of 28 points.

Dragons are assessing the extent of Dyer's hamstring injury but are set to be without tight-head prop Robert Hunt until the New Year after he had an operation on his left elbow.

The South African suffered the injury at a scrum in the defeat by Ospreys in Newport on 9 October.

With Lewis on Wales duty, Chris Coleman starts against Zebre with 21-year-old Owain James on the bench.

Dragons field Tonga backs Fine Inisi, Fetuli Paea and Anzelo Tuitavuki before they leave for Nations Cup duty.

Centre Paea is poised to start against his former side despite using crutches after the Ospreys game due to a knee injury.

Argentina loose-head prop Rodrigo Martinez is named as a replacement after spending the start of the week in London with the Pumas ahead of the Nations Championship.

That means a first start of the season, and only a second senior start, for Jordan Morris.

Back-row forward Harri Keddie will make his 150th appearance for the Dragons at number eight.

Six members of Dragons' 23 are yet to feature this season - starting wing David Richards and replacements Nick Thomas, Sam Scarfe, Morgan Lloyd, Cai Evans and Joe Westwood.

Full-back Giovanni Montemauri is the only member of Zebre's nine-strong Italy contingent for the Nations Championship to feature.

Dragons: O'Brien (capt); Richards, Inisi, Paea, Tuitavuki; De Beer, Williams; Morris, Dee, Coleman, Langton-Cryer, Screech, Lewis-Hughes, Minto, Keddie.

Replacements: Coghlan, Martinez, James, Thomas, Scarfe, M Lloyd, Evans, Westwood.

Zebre: Montemauri; Sodo Migliori, Zanon, Casarin, Gesi; da Re, Dominguez; Pelliccioli, Ribaldi, Barbotti, Ruffolo, Krumov, Ferrari, Stavile Bravin, Ruggeri.

Replacements: Minervino, Pisani, Barbatti, Canali, Botturi, Baronio, Trulla, Wade.

Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Craig Evans & Gareth Newman (Wales)

TMO: Colin Brett (South Africa)