JOSH Reynolds and Che Hope will aim to press their case for Dragons action when they line up for Gloucester against the Barbarians on Saturday.

While the Rodney Parade club prepare for the start of the United Rugby Championship with a friendly against the Ospreys, the young duo have bolstered the Cherry and Whites’ squad.

Loosehead prop Reynolds starts while scrum-half Hope is on the bench at Kingsholm for the fixture to mark Gloucester’s 150th anniversary season.

They feature alongside the Premiership side’s big hitters because the West Country side are also in action in the Premiership Cup against Hartpury on Friday evening.

Reynolds was a fringe figure last season with just four outings off the bench but signed a fresh one-year contract in the summer.

The 23-year-old gets game time while new signing Rodrigo Martinez and Rhodri Jones share the propping duties for the Dragons against the Ospreys. Samoa loosehead Aki Seiuli is unavailable.

South Wales Argus: Dragons scrum-half Che HopeDragons scrum-half Che Hope (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

Hope has made three appearances for Newport RFC this season after recovering from a concussion that denied him the chance to feature for Wales at the World Rugby U20 Championship.

The 20-year-old and fellow bright prospect Morgan Lloyd are backing up senior scrum-halves Rhodri Williams, new signing Dane Blacker, Lewis Jones and Gonzalo Bertranou, who is currently with Argentina at the World Cup.

Hope made three appearances off the bench for the Dragons last season and scored against the Lions on debut.