Preview: Biarritz v Dragons

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Dragons team captain Tom Willis will be starting the match on the bench for Sunday's Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz Olympique.

Dragons team captain Tom Willis will be starting the match on the bench for Sunday's Heineken Cup clash against Biarritz Olympique.

Steve Jones has been rested for the away leg, taking into account the short turnaround to next Friday's return game.

Back row Joe Bearman and prop Ali McKenzie will be joining Willis in returning from injury to take a position from the bench, while Gavin Thomas will captain the side.

Biarritz are not in form. Three losses on the bounce have seen them tumble to eighth in the top 14 table and they are still without inspirational number eight Imanol Harinordoquy.

There's a start for former rugby league player Karmichael Hunt as a part of a stellar back-line including Takudzwa Ngwenya, while the forwards are also full of international class in Jerome Thion and new tyro loosehead Fabien Barcella.

The teams:

Biarritz: 15 Iain Balshaw, 14 Ilikena Bolakoro, 13 Karmichael Hunt, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Takudzwa Ngwenya, 10 Julien Peyrelongue, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Florian Faure, 7 Samiu Vahafolau, 6 Magnus Lund, 5 Jerome Thion (capt), 4 Pelu Taele, 3 Remy Hugues, 2 Benoit August, 1 Fabien Barcella.
Replacements: 16 Romain Terrain, 17 Eduard Coetzee, 18 Manuel Carizza, 19 Trevor Hall, 20 Valentin Courrent, 21 Arnaud Mignardi, 22 Nicolas Brusque, 23 Campbell Johnstone.

Dragons: 15 Jason Tovey, 14 Aled Brew, 13 Rhodri Gomer-Davies, 12 Tom Riley, 11 Richard Fussell, 10 James Arlidge, 9 Wayne Evans, 8 Grant Webb, 7 Gavin Thomas (c), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Rob Sidoli, 4 Adam Jones, 3 Peter Bracken, 2 Duane Goodfield, 1 Hugh Gustafson.
Replacements: 16 Tom Willis, 17 Ali McKenzie, 18 Gethin Robinson, 19 Hoani MacDonald, 20 Joe Bearman, 21 Alex Walker, 22 Martyn Thomas, 23 Matthew Watkins.

Date: Sunday, December 13
Venue: Parc des Sports Aguilera
Kick-off: 13.45 (12.45 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Assistant referees: Rob Debney (England), Paul Dix (England)
Assessor: Brian Campsall (England), John Sheehan (Ireland)

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