Ninth plays eighth in the Guinness PRO12 as Newport Gwent Dragons lock horns with Edinburgh at Rodney Parade on Sunday at 15:30.

Newport have lost four out their last five in the Guinness PRO12, but can overtake the Scots with a win.

What’s at stake? Both sides need points on the board if they are to mount a realistic charge on the top six.

Victory will send Edinburgh extend their lead over the Dragons in the table and give them some breathing room as they look to push on towards the play-offs – although victory will not be enough to take them above Cardiff Blues, who they currently trail by eight points.

Whereas the Dragons could leapfrog Edinburgh if they can follow up their win against Connacht in their last Guinness PRO12 outing.

Team News (Newport): The Dragons welcome back skipper Lewis Evans alongside flanker Ollie Griffiths and No.8 Ed Jackson.

The centre partnership will have one change as Jack Dixon replaces Adam Warren.

And the front row has two changes made to it as loosehead prop Sam Hobbs is joined by hooker T Rhys Thomas and tighthead Brok Harris.

Team News (Edinburgh): Edinburgh have made two changes to their team. Michael Allen comes in on the left wing in place of the injured Tom Brown, while Nasi Manu returns to the back-row after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Talking points: Jason Tovey returns to Rodney Parade to face his former side for the first time since his move north last March.

Tovey’s tally of 951 points is the most in the Dragons’ history, and while he missed the start of the Guinness PRO12 season with a fractured wrist, since returning at the end of October he has propelled Edinburgh to four victories in their last five matches.

And Dragons backs coach Shaun Connor, a teammate of Tovey’s between 2008 and 2010, is all too aware of the threat posed by the 27-year-old.

“Jason tended to play well at Rodney Parade, so I am sure he will be looking forward to coming back,” he said.

“He has been excellent for Edinburgh and is a player who probably needed the change to freshen up. Jason has always been a quality player and we will have to be wary of his kicking game.

“He kicks the ball as well as anybody in the league and is like Sam Davies in the way that he can manufacture kicks.”

Key Battle: Young fly-half and Dragons’ top points scorer Angus O’Brien has kept his place in the side, and will battle it out with former mentor Tovey at number ten.

Key Stat: The Dragons are on a three-game winning streak at home, with Edinburgh head coach Duncan Hodge admitting they are a different beast at Rodney Parade.

He added: “Dragons are a good team and Rodney Parade is a difficult place to go, but we’re excited ahead of the weekend and ready to embrace the challenge.”

Did you know? Newport Gwent Dragons have not yet won two games in a row this season.

Newport Gwent Dragons: C Meyer, P Howard, S Beard, J Dixon, A Hewitt, A O’Brien, T Knoyle, S Hobbs, T Rhys Thomas, B Harris, N Crosswell, R Landman, L Evans, O Griffiths, E Jackson.

Replacements: R Buckley, P Price, L Fairbrother, M Screech, N Cudd, S Pretorius, G Rhys Jones, T Morgan.

Top points scorer: Angus O’Brien 28. Top Try Scorer: Pat Howard 3

Edinburgh: B Kinghorn, D Hoyland, C Dean, P Burleigh, M Allen, J Tovey, S Kennedy, J Cosgrove, N Cochrane, M McCallum, F McKenzie, B Toolis, M Bradbury, J Ritchie, N Manu

Replacements: S McInally, K Whyte, F Arregui, L Carmichael, V Mata, S Hidalgo-Clyne, D Weir, G Bryce

Top points scorer: Duncan Weir 34. Top Try Scorer: Magnus Bradbury 3

TV: S4C (KO 3.30pm)

Match Officials – Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU). Assistant referees: Leo Colgan (IRFU), Rhys Thomas (WRU)