SIX Nations star Nick Tompkins will make his Dragons debut against the Ospreys on Sunday in an experimental line-up from boss Dean Ryan.

The Rodney Parade region finish the 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 campaign with a pair of derby clashes with the Liberty Stadium fixture (kick-off 2.15pm) followed by a home meeting with the Scarlets.

Director of rugby Ryan is set to hand chances to the majority of his squad ahead of the European Challenge Cup quarter-final at Bristol on September 18, and has left a number of key individuals out of the XV to face the Ospreys.

All of the squad are first-teamers who could face the Bears but the Dragons are not heading west fully-loaded.

Fly-half Sam Davies captains the side on his return to Swansea in the absence of regular skipper Rhodri Williams while there are debuts for Tompkins, who is on a year-long loan from Saracens, and lock Joe Maksymiw, who has signed from Connacht.

South Wales Argus:

Blindside Ben Fry (pictured above) has impressed in pre-season and will make his first PRO14 start with Wales flanker Aaron Wainwright given an impact role.

Dafydd Howells, primarily a wing, returns to the Ospreys as a full-back while Tavis Knoyle starts at scrum-half.

Irish loosehead Conor Maguire, who joined the club on a short-term trial before the suspension of the season, backs up Brok Harris.

The Dragons are in negotiations with Ryan Bevington over a contract extension but he is still on the comeback trail from a knee injury while Greg Bateman is on the cusp of signing after leaving Leicester.

Ryan has left out captain Williams, new signing Jonah Holmes, Elliot Dee, Ollie Griffiths, Josh Lewis, Aaron Jarvis and Jared Rosser, who could all return to face the Scarlets in the regular season finale.

The Ospreys name a strong line-up captained by Justin Tipuric and featuring Wales stars Alun Wyn Jones, Adam Beard, Nicky Smith, Rhys Webb, Owen Watkin and George North.
Ex-Dragons tighthead Nicky Thomas is among the replacements.
 

Ospreys: D Evans, G North, O Watkin, K Williams, L Morgan, S Myler, R Webb, N Smith, S Parry, T Botha, A Beard, AW Jones, O Cracknell, M Morris, J Tipuric (captain). Replacements: D Lake, G Thomas, N Thomas, B Davies, W Griffiths, R Morgan-Williams, J Thomas, T Thomas-Wheeler.

Dragons: D Howells, O Jenkins, N Tompkins, J Dixon, A Hewitt, S Davies (captain), T Knoyle, B Harris, R Hibbard, L Brown, M Screech, J Maksymiw, B Fry, T Basham, R Moriarty. Replacements: E Shipp, C Maguire, C Coleman, J Davies, A Wainwright, L Baldwin, A Robson, A Warren.

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)