WALES number eight Aaron Wainwright will miss the Dragons’ Challenge Cup shootout with the Lions in Johannesburg because of a leg injury.

The 27-year-old is a member of the touring party but will sit out the Ellis Park fixture as a precaution before linking up with the Six Nations squad.

Wainwright, who hasn’t played a full part in training, will have the injury assessed on his return to Wales but it is expected that he should be fine for the tournament opener against France.

Warren Gatland is already sweating on the fitness of number eight Taulupe Faletau for the Friday, January 31 clash in Paris.

With scrum-half Rhodri Williams rehabbing a knee injury at home, hooker Elliot Dee is the only member of the Six Nations squad to feature for the Dragons against the Lions.

OUT: The Dragons are not risking Wales back rower Aaron Wainwright against the Lions (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

The absence of dynamic back rower Wainwright is a huge blow for the chances of upsetting the powerful South Africans, with interim head coach Filo Tiatia making seven changes from the costly 24-15 defeat to Pau in Newport last Sunday.

Huw Anderson and Will Reed get the nod at full-back and fly-half respectively for the injured Cai Evans (Achilles) and Angus O’Brien (thumb).

Ewan Rosser comes in for his older brother Jared on the wing while Aneurin Owen returns at inside centre, and captains the side in the absence of Ben Carter and O’Brien.

There are three changes up front with lock George Nott coming into the XV along with flankers Ryan Woodman and Shane Lewis-Hughes, who missed the Pau game with an ankle injury and illness respectively.

The Dragons are huge underdogs for the game against the Lions due to their form, the quick turnaround, being away from home and playing at altitude.

To qualify for the last 16 they must upset the odds by winning the same amount of match points as their hosts, who have won all three games they have played in Johannesburg this season with bonus points.

The Dragons lost 23-19 to the Lions when the teams met in the first block of the season in Newport.

“They will be a different beast,” said Tiatia. “They are a dangerous team, a good counter-attacking side with nippy backs, the centres are strong and get over the gain line, they have a hard-running, big pack.”

The Dragons have never won in South Africa, although they did draw 31-31 with the Lions in the Challenge Cup in 2022 and shared the spoils with the Southern Kings.

“They are really clear on their DNA,” said former All Blacks forward Tiatia about the South African challenge. “Big forward pack, big set piece, big collisions.

“You know that you are going to get whacked and the collisions are brutal. I used to love playing the South Africans in Super Rugby, they brought a different element. They are super competitive and clear on their identity.”

Lions: Quan Horn, Tapiwa Mafura, Henco van Wyk, Rynhardt Jonker, Edwill van der Merwe, Sam Francis, Morne van den Berg, Juan Schoeman, PJ Botha, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Etienne Oosthuizen, Darrien Landsberg, JC Pretorius, Ruan Venter, Francke Horn (captain).

Replacements: Jaco Visagie, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Ruan Delport, Jarod Cairns, Nico Steyn, Gianni Lombard, Manuel Rass.

Dragons: Huw Anderson; Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Aneurin Owen (captain), Ewan Rosser; Will Reed, Che Hope; Rodrigo Martinez, Elliot Dee, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, George Nott, Ryan Woodman, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Taine Basham.

Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Paula Latu, Barny Langton-Cryer, George Young, Morgan Lloyd, Lloyd Evans, Harri Ackerman.

Referee: Evan Urruzmendi (France)