Newport Gwent Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones insists this weekend’s GUINNESS PRO12 Judgement Day clash with Scarlets at the Millennium Stadium is the best possible environment for his side to shake off their European hangover.

The Dragons crashed out of Europe last weekend with a disappointing 45-16 loss to GUINNESS PRO12 rivals Edinburgh, and with just three rounds to go this season face an uphill task to make the top six.

But with Welsh derby bragging rights on the line and 50,000 fans expected to be in attendance, Jones is full of confidence his side can secure their first ever Judgement Day victory.

“We've tried not to look back at Edinburgh too much,” he said. “The big plus for us is that we play at the Millennium Stadium this week and we play Edinburgh again the week after.

“After the poor performance we had last week you can't ask for two better fixtures for the players.

“There's no need for any coach to motivate the players for the next two games – to play at the Millennium Stadium and then Edinburgh again. The boys will be up for it.

“There are a lot of Welsh guys in our team and they will be looking to put their hand up I'm sure, thinking they've got an outside chance of inclusion in the Wales squad.

“But we've got to rise to it and the players have an opportunity to show what they can do. It should be a great day for Welsh rugby.”

Having won three GUINNESS PRO12 clashes on the bounce, the Dragons are searching for their longest winning streak in a decade on Saturday – but have just one victory to their name in their last 13 clashes with Scarlets.

And Jones has rung the changes from last weekend’s defeat, as Rynard Landman comes back in to skipper the side.

Geraint Rhys Jones steps into the back three at full-back, Phil Price is named as loosehead prop alongside hooker Rhys Buckley and youngster Matthew Screech joins Landman in the engine room.

Scarlets have also had a massive boost with skipper Ken Owens returning to lead a side containing eight internationals out in Cardiff.

Rhys Priestland is named at the pivotal outside-half berth whilst Aled Davies keeps his place at scrum-half, and Liam Williams is joined in the back three by Harry Robinson and 20-year-old Steff Evans who returns to action after a long-standing hamstring injury.

Phil John and Peter Edwards pack down either side of captain Owens, with Aaron Shingler returning from injury to join James Davies and John Barclay in the back-row.

And head coach Wayne Pivac is adamant that his men will haul themselves into the top-six GUINNESS PRO12 spots by the end of the season, starting with a win this weekend.

"I think with four teams on the one pitch, the national coach sitting there, a World Cup squad to be named in a few weeks’ time, bragging rights and everything around that; I think there's all the motivation in the world for this game,” said Pivac.

“The Dragons will certainly bring some momentum into it and there's a lot at stake; we have three games now which we need to nail to be safe really.

“We've got no-one to blame but ourselves. When we look back at the season there are three draws in the results – we had opportunities to put those games away and didn't.

“We put ourselves in this corner. It's up to us collectively as a group to get ourselves out of it. The talent's there and as a group we're confident we can get the job done.”

At Millennium Stadium, 4.45pm Live on S4C
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 70th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Sean Brickell (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Russell Howell (WRU)
TMO: Tim Hayes (WRU)

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