Wales hooker Dee starts for Dragons after six months out

Wales hooker Elliot Dee will make his first appearance since the opening weekend of the season when starting for Dragons at Stormers on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has been named in the starting line-up for the United Rugby Championship fixture in Cape Town that kicks off at 13:00 GMT.

Dee has endured almost six months on the sidelines since suffering a shoulder injury against Ulster at the end of September.

"Elliot has been working really hard and competing with all the other hookers," said head coach Filo Tiatia.

"I love the way that he has been really competitive in training - he has come close to blows in a couple of moments with other players."

Dee is one of seven changes to the XV that drew with Benetton in Newport at the end of the month.

Full-back Cai Evans, wing Jared Rosser, centre Fetuli Paea, scrum-half Rhodri Williams, loose-head prop Jordan Morris and number eight Harrison Keddie also come in.

Number eight Aaron Wainwright and lock Ben Carter are rested after their Six Nations exertions with Wales.

Dee has failed to hit double figures for appearances in the last three seasons at Dragons because of injury.

The hooker, who has 56 caps and played in all five Six Nations games in 2025, had hoped to return swiftly without the need for surgery to feature in Steve Tandy's first Wales squad.

"He wanted to put himself right for the autumn series," said Tiatia.

"There was collaborative discussion around how we could get him back early but it didn't quite work out.

"Elliot ended up having an operation on his shoulder and has worked his tail off to come back as soon as possible."

While Dragons are boosted by the return of Dee, who is backed up by fellow Wales international Brodie Coghlan, they are without fly-half Tinus de Beer.

The 30-year-old South African will link up with the squad next week ahead of their Saturday fixture against Lions in Johannesburg but will not feature because of a hand injury.

De Beer has played in all 16 fixtures this season since joining from Cardiff – starting all but two – but will not be risked ahead of the trip to Stade Francais in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.

The playmaker had been linked with a return home with Bulls but Dragons rebuffed that interest and he will remain at Rodney Parade.

"Tinus has been outstanding, not just on the field but off it," said Tiatia. "He has been great for the mentality of the group and is one of the toughest players I have worked with.

"He loves to tackle and whack people but is also a caring person who looks after a lot of the group and demands a lot from them. He is a natural leader."

Angus O'Brien moves to fly-half in his absence with Evans starting at full-back.

Wing Seabelo Senatla and centre Dan du Plessis return from injury in a Stormers back line that is marshalled by Springboks superstar fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Strong-running number eight Evan Roos, who has scored seven tries in 13 games this season, also returns after missing the derby win against Bulls.

Stormers: Willemse; Senatla, Nel (capt), du Plessis, Zas; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Khan; Matongo, Kotze, Fouche, Smith, Schickerling, Fourie, Theunissen, Roos.

Replacements: Venter, Mchunu, Sandi, Dixon, de Villiers, Dayimani, Ungerer, Simelane.

Dragons: C Evans; J Rosser, Paea, Owen, Dyer; O'Brien (capt), R Williams; Morris, Dee, Coleman, Douglas, S Davies, Woodman, Beddall, Keddie.

Replacements: Coghlan, W Jones, James, Langton-Cryer, Young, Armstrong, J Lloyd, Inisi.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland).

Assistants: Aimee Barrett-Theron & Sean Muller (South Africa).

TMO: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland).