Dragons aim to lose tag as URC's worst travellers

Dragons have turned around their fortunes in Newport but go to Munster fully-loaded in an attempt to end a near four-year bout of travel sickness.

The Rodney Parade club have won four successive games on home soil – beating Lyon and Newcastle in the Challenge Cup and Connacht and Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship (URC) – but their away issues remain.

A fortnight ago they were given an 11-try, 74-21 hammering by Benetton in the second-tier European tournament when head coach Filo Tiatia rotated his squad.

However, Dragons are at full strength to face Munster in Cork with a XV that features Wales number eight Aaron Wainwright and lock Ben Carter fresh from their Six Nations call-ups.

They have not enjoyed an away success in the URC since beating Scarlets in April 2022, while their last league victory outside Wales was at Connacht in October 2021.

Dragons were the only side in the URC to go without a win on the road in 2025 and finish a 10-game block by travelling to Munster and Ospreys.

The Rodney Parade club have only ever won once in Munster – on their first trip in 2004 when they won 16-6 in Limerick.

"It's an area of growth and we need to keep improving around taking our game and mentality that we have at home when we go to other grounds," said Tiatia.

"How do we stay in moments and dominate? We've got a lot of young guys that are still learning their craft."

They face a Munster side who are smarting after a home defeat by Castres that saw them drop down to the Challenge Cup from the Champions Cup.

That was a fourth loss on the bounce since the Irish province impressively overpowered Ospreys in Bridgend on 20 December.

They lost festive derbies against Munster and Ulster then suffered a French double at the hands of Toulon and Castres.

"I don't think there is ever a 'good time' to play Munster," said Tiatia.

"The whole of their group will be hurting and Munster have got a proud tradition and legacy."

Tiatia makes three changes to the XV that beat Newcastle 35-12 with blind-side flanker or lock Ryan Woodman, whose performances put him on the Wales radar, rested after a heavy workload of five starts on the spin.

Levi Douglas comes in for him in the second row and there are also starts for loose-head prop Rodrigo Martinez and open-side flanker Harry Beddall.

Lock or flanker Seb Davies is set for his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury against Leinster in November off the bench.

Munster make eight changes to the side that lost in the Champions Cup at Castres last week, with 21-year-old Academy back-row forward Sean Edogbo making his senior competitive debut.

Mike Haley, Dan Kelly, JJ Hanrahan and Ethan Coughlan all come into the backline, while in the pack captain Diarmuid Barron starts in the front row with a new-look back row of Edogbo, Ruadhan Quinn and Brian Gleeson.

Munster: Haley; Abrahams, Kelly, Nankivell, Daly; Hanrahan, Coughlan; Loughman, D Barron (capt), Ala'alatoa, Kleyn, Wycherley, Edogbo, Quinn, Gleeson.

Replacements: L Barron, Wycherley, Jager, O'Connell, Coombes, Patterson, Butler, Kilgallen.

Dragons: O'Brien; Richards, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; de Beer, Hope; Martinez, Coghlan, Hunt, Douglas, Carter, Keddie, Beddall, Wainwright.

Replacements: Burrows, Morris, Dlamini, S Davies, Lewis-Hughes, R Williams, Ackerman, C Evans.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Assistants: Andrew Cole & Daniel Carson (Ireland)

TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)