DRAGONS boss Dai Flanagan hopes that his bench can finish the job against the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship this evening.

The Rodney Parade club host the South Africans (kick-off 5.15pm) with the aim of backing up their opening weekend win over the Ospreys in Newport.

The Dragons are without some key players – Aaron Wainwright, Harri Keddie, Steve Cummins – but Flanagan still wants plenty of bench impact.

The head coach has made eight changes to the side that lost 34-6 at Leinster in a display that was more encouraging than the score suggests.

Wales internationals Taine Basham and Dan Lydiate start in the back row with lock Matthew Screech back in the XV after playing most of the game in Dublin due to a fifth-minute injury to George Nott.

Tighthead Leon Brown returns and loosehead Rhodri Jones gets the nod while there are three changes behind with scrum-half Rhodri Williams, centre Aneurin Owen and full-back Angus O’Brien starting.

Yet those that have shirts numbered 16 to 23 are just as valuable as the Dragons attempt to finish strongly after frequently collapsing in the final quarter last season.

BACK: Will Reed returns to the Dragons 23BACK: Will Reed returns to the Dragons 23 (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“Our depth is really important and our bench has a critical part to play,” said Flanagan, who involves lock Joe Davies and fly-half Will Reed for the first time this season.

“Against the Ospreys the bench won us the game and we need more of that going forward because it’s a 23-man game, not a 15-man game.”

The Dragons have shown promising signs in the first two rounds of the season and now face three key fixtures on home soil.

The Sharks visit this weekend followed by the Lions and Benetton, with the final fixture of the first URC block an away game at Connacht.

“It’s an opportunity for us to knock some big teams over. We are playing the Sharks, who are Currie Cup winners, then the Lions, who are Currie Cup finalists, and then a fully-loaded Benetton with their internationals back,” said Flanagan.

“We have to think about process, process, process and then the outcome will come off the back of that.

“We saw how happy everyone was after the Ospreys win because we stuck to the process until the 84th minute, we have to do that for the next three weeks.”

Dragons: Angus O’Brien; Rio Dyer, Harry Wilson, Aneurin Owen, Jared Rosser; Lloyd Evans, Rhodri Williams; Rhodri Jones, Brodie Coghlan, Leon Brown, Matthew Screech, Ben Carter (captain), Shane Lewis-Hughes, Taine Basham, Dan Lydiate.

Replacements: Oli Burrows, Rodrigo Martinez, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Ryan Woodman, Dane Blacker, Will Reed, Joe Westwood.