Jones said, “We are expecting a very tough game. Paul Turner has done a great job with the Dragons and they had an excellent result at the weekend when they won at Edinburgh. They also ran Gloucester very close in the Heineken Cup in October. This is a competition we are looking to do well in and I have named a team that I believe will do well.”
The Dragons come into this game off the back of their first away win in any competition since January after defaeting Edinburgh at Murrayfield.
“It’s great to be coming into the game off the back of last weekend’s win,” said head coach Paul Turner.
“Sunday was one of the most courageous performances I have ever witnessed in my time at the Dragons and the win is a credit to the players who travelled, as well as the support staff who went up to Edinburgh and the great support we had in Murrayfield from the Dragons supporters.”
There will be a couple of familiar names in the Sharks squad, with former Cardiff players Nick MacLeod and Lee Thomas figuring in the backline.
Newport Gwent Dragons
Martyn Thomas, William Harries, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Matthew Watkins, Richard Fussell; Shaun Connor (C); Danny Lee;
Dan Watchurst, Duane Goodfield, Pat Palmer, Hoani Macdonald, Adam Jones, Lewis Evans, James Harris, Grant Webb
Replacements: Andrew Brown, Hugh Gustafson, Peter Bracken, Toby Falatau, Rob Sidoli, Alex Walker, Adam Greendale, Matthew Pewtner.
Sale Sharks: Nick Macleod, Ben Cohen, David Bishop, Lee Thomas, Marika Vakacegu, Charlie Hodgson, Richard Wigglesworth, Eifion Roberts, Mahonri Schwalger, Jack Forster, Sean Cox, Dean Schofield, James Gaskell, Luke Abraham, Carl Fearns
Replacements: Neil Briggs, Rob O’Donnell, Martin Halsall, Kristian Ormsby, Sisa Koyamaibole, Dwayne Peel, Mathew Tait, Oriol Ripol
