Dragons' relief as Armstrong cleared for cup tie

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Dragons scrum-half Niall Armstrong made 20 appearances for Exeter [Huw Evans Picture Agency]

Dragons have avoided a scrum-half crisis against Stade Francais in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup after Niall Armstrong and Morgan Lloyd were cleared to play.

The Rodney Parade club lost Armstrong and Rhodri Williams to head injuries against Lions in Johannesburg last weekend, which led to fly-half Jac Lloyd deputising in an unfamiliar position for the last quarter.

With Che Hope out for the season, Dragons had the prospect of not having a specialist nine for Sunday's daunting fixture in Paris.

Wales international Williams is still going through return to play protocols but Armstrong has passed his head injury assessment and Morgan Lloyd has also been cleared to return from a hamstring issue.

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Challenge Cup regulations require clubs to select from a registered squad and academy scrum-halves Logan Franklin and Carter Pritchard are not in Dragons' due to their inexperience.

"It's a relief that Niall is ready to go and Morgan has trained really well ahead of an opportunity after coming back from injury," said head coach Filo Tiatia.

Former Ulster academy and Exeter scrum-half Armstrong lasted just two minutes at Lions on his second start of the season.

Morgan Lloyd, whose solitary Dragons appearance of 2025-26 was off the bench in January's hammering at Benetton, has not played since scoring a hat-trick at Cardiff in the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup in mid-February.

Dragons make three changes to the starting line-up from the defeat by Lions, when they scored four tries to earn a consolation bonus point.

Tinus de Beer has recovered from a hand injury to return at fly-half, which allows co-captain Angus O'Brien to return to full-back, while lock Levi Douglas and wing David Richards also come in.

Stade Francais won three of four pool games to earn fourth seeding for the knockout stages and are also in a strong position in the Top 14.

They are third in the table, level on points with Pau, after demolishing Clermont Auvergne 64-20 last weekend.

"It's going to be tough because they are a very good side, especially at home, and ran away with a very good win against Clermont," said Tiatia.

"They are well coached and I like the way that they play with big forwards in the middle and they love trying to get the ball back with the highest turnovers in the Top 14.

"Stade have threats right across the back line. We have our work cut out but we are looking forward to the challenge."

Dragons famously upset the odds in Paris in the group stages in 2014 when O'Brien, then 20, scored 18 points in a breakthrough performance.

"There is no point putting the jersey on and going out there without any belief," said Tiatia.

The winners of Sunday's game will face Zebre or Pau in the quarter-finals, with Stade having the incentive of another home game while Dragons would travel again.

How they line up​

Stade Francais: Ibo; Laloi, Marchant, Ezeala, Etien; Foursans-Bourdette, Abadie; Iscaro, Peyresblanques, Lux, Azagoh, Turagacoke, Scelzo, Chapuis (capt), Tanga.

Replacements: Garcia Albo, Paiva, Alo-Emile, Huguet, Briatte, Motassi, Vili, Henry.

Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Richards, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; de Beer, Armstrong; Martinez, Coghlan, Coleman, Douglas, Carter (co-capt), Woodman, Young, Wainwright.

Replacements: Dee, W Jones, James, S Davies, Keddie, M Lloyd, Paea, Anderson.

Referee: Morne Ferreira (South Africa)

Assistant Referees: Griffin Colby & Christopher Allison (South Africa)

TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

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