The third-round United Rugby Championship clash comes a week after the Dragons snapped their 18-match losing streak with a battling 17-17 draw against the Sharks at Rodney Parade.
Now, the focus turns to building on that performance and proving that their revival is more than a one-off – or half a one-off, at least.
“We’re heading in the right direction – I truly believe that. The players are well connected and are working really hard,” said Tiatia.
“There are still areas in our game that we need to keep improving on, we will get some clarity around some things in the Sharks game.
“It’s important we focus on us, where we need to shift and there are still areas of growth.
“There were a lot of positives in the Sharks game, and we’ve just got to keep going. They are a tight group, they scrap for each other, and every team needs grit to stay in moments.”
That grit will be needed again against a Glasgow side who are formidable on home turf.
The Warriors lost just twice at Scotstoun last season — to the Ospreys and the Bulls — and have won the last six meetings between the two teams, including a 73-33 victory in the Challenge Cup last year.
Despite the scale of the challenge, the Dragons travel north with renewed confidence and a refreshed squad.
Tiatia has made 12 changes to his starting XV, balancing the need for rotation with an eye on next week’s home derby against Cardiff.
With Aaron Wainwright, Ben Carter, Rhodri Williams, Wyn Jones, Robert Hunt and Angus O'Brien all rested, wing Fine Inisi, centre Aneurin Owen, and flanker Ryan Woodman are the only players to keep their places from the Sharks draw.
There are also several notable introductions.
READ MORE: Dragons Don’t Lose . . . But Filo Tiatia Can’t Believe They Didn’t Win, Either
Wales lock Seb Davies makes his debut after recovering from a pre-season injury, while young fly-half Jac Lloyd earns his first start after impressing for Newport RFC in their Super Rygbi Cymru title-winning campaign.
Hooker Oli Burrows, tight-head Dillon Lewis, lock Levi Douglas, and number eight Mackenzie Martin all come in for their first starts of the season, while scrum-half Niall Armstrong could debut from the bench.
Tiatia’s rebuild has had to navigate both injuries and change behind the scenes.
The Dragons will be without powerful centre Fetuli Paea, who fractured his arm in the draw with the Sharks and has undergone surgery. Lock Steve Cummins has also gone out on loan to the Scarlets.
Despite the setbacks, Tiatia and his staff are encouraged by signs of steady progress and growing resilience.
Dragons defence coach Dale MacLeod believes the squad’s attitude has been crucial in their improvement over the opening two rounds.
“We’re a group that needs to keep moving forward. At Ulster we didn’t quite nail some things that cost us dearly in key moments, when we could have been in that game,” said MacLeod.
“Against Sharks we did some good stuff to stay in the game, and we showed that we have some character and some fight. I came away from the game a little frustrated, like a lot of people, but also proud that we took another step forward.
“It’s important we take another step forward against Glasgow.”
The Dragons’ form has been trending upward, and while results have not always reflected their effort, there is a clear sense that the team under Tiatia’s leadership is beginning to look more threatening.
The Kiwi coach, who took over the reins in the summer, has emphasised hard work, togetherness, and clarity — qualities he believes will be essential in closing the gap on the URC’s leading sides.
The Dragons have won twice before at Scotstoun — first in 2013 when Jason Tovey delivered a full house of points, and again in 2020 after Brandon Thomson’s missed conversion gifted them victory.
A third win in Glasgow would represent a significant marker in their rebuilding project.
READ MORE: Mackenzie Martin Believes Dragons Can Find Room for Both Him and Aaron Wainwright
The Warriors, who beat the Sharks in their opener before losing narrowly to Benetton, have named a strong side featuring Scotland lock Alex Craig, who makes his debut after joining from the Scarlets.
As for the Dragons, they’ll travel to Scotland determined to show that last weekend’s draw was not an anomaly — but a sign of a team finally starting to rise.
🏉 Match Factfile
📍 Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
📅 Date: Saturday 11 October 2025
⏰ Kick-off: 7.35pm (UK time)
📺 Live on: Premier Sports
💥 Competition
BKT United Rugby Championship – Round 3
🧾 Form Guide
• Glasgow: W1 L1
• Dragons: L1 D1
🔎 Players to Watch
Dragons: Seb Davies, Jac Lloyd, Fine Inisi
Glasgow: Sione Tuipulotu, Adam Hastings, Damien Ferrie
💬 Coaches’ View
“We’re heading in the right direction – I truly believe that,” said Filo Tiatia.
“It’s important we focus on us, where we need to shift and there are still areas of growth.”
💷 Odds
Glasgow 1/66 | Draw 40/1 | Dragons 16/1
(via DragonBet -dragonbet.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion)
