United Rugby Championship: Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons RFC (Sat)
- Published
Fiji international Viliame Mata also won Rugby Sevens gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio
URC: Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons RFC |
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Venue: DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 17 September Kick-off: 19:35 BST |
Coverage: Live on S4C. Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra and BBC Sport website and app; text commentary on BBC Sport website app. Match report and highlights on the BBC Sport website and app. Highlights on Scrum V, from 18:00 BST, Sunday, BBC Two Wales and online and later on demand. |
Fiji's Viliame Mata will make his first start in nine months as Edinburgh begin their URC campaign.
Scotland duo Darcy Graham and Mark Bennett both return to the starting side, but Edinburgh are without Wes Goosen, Jake Henry and Mesu Kunavula.
Dragons name five new signings in their XV, captained by Wales' Will Rowlands.
Bradley Roberts, Sean Lonsdale, JJ Hanrahan and Sio Tomkinson all make their debuts, while Angus O'Brien also starts after his return to the region.
Dragons are without the injured Harri Keddie, Sam Davies, Leon Brown, Rob Evans, Rhodri Jones, Ollie Griffiths and Aneurin Owen.
Edinburgh: Henry Immelman; Darcy Graham, Mark Bennett, Chris Dean, Damien Hoyland; Charlie Savala, Ben Vellacot; Boan Venter, Dave Cherry, Angus Williams, Marshall Sykes, Glen Young, Jamie Ritchie, Luke Crosbie, Viliame Mata
Replacements: Stuart McInally, Pierre Schoeman, WP Nel, Sam Skinner, Nick Haining, Henry Pyrgos, Blair Kinghorn, James Lang
Dragons: Angus O'Brien; Rio Dyer, Sio Tomkinson, Jack Dixon, Jared Rosser; JJ Hanrahan, Rhodri Williams; Aki Seiuli, Bradley Roberts, Lloyd Fairbrother, Ben Carter, Will Rowlands (c), Sean Lonsdale, Ben Fry, Ross Moriarty
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Josh Reynolds, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Taine Basham, Lewis Jones, Will Reed, Jordan Williams
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: David Sutherland & Michael Todd (SRU)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)