Due to back row injuries, Stuart McInally moves up from the bench to start on the blindside. Having taken over the captaincy once before, due to injury to Mike Coman against Scarlets earlier in the season, Stuart McInally will also captain the team for this match in the absence of Coman, due to a similar injury sustained in the Final.
The other two changes come in the pack with Hamish Watson moving up from the bench to start at openside, while making his first start since the away match against Ospreys earlier in the season, is lock Fraser McKenzie.
Dougie Fife and Tim Visser retain their berths on the right and left wings respectively while Sam Beard and Andries Strauss remain at outside and inside centre. Maintaining their half back pairing, meanwhile, are Phil Burleigh at stand-off and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne at scrum half.
In the pack, the front row remains the same while Ben Toolis partners McKenzie at lock and Cornell Du Preez keeps the no 8 jersey.
Currently in seventh position in the league table, it's all to play for as Edinburgh strive for a top six spot and qualification to the Champions' competition in Europe next season.
At the moment, the capital club are one point behind sixth-placed Scarlets - who meet Cardiff at home this weekend - and five points behind fifth-placed Leinster. Connacht, in eighth spot, are four points below Edinburgh. Given the significance of this fixture on European qualification a TMO will be in place, despite the fixture not being broadcast.
Edinburgh have already met and beaten Dragons twice this season - once in each competition and both times at home.
Head coach Alan Solomons said: "Coming off the back of the European Challenge Cup Final, especially with the Dragons having had a fixture-free week and playing at home at Rodney Parade - a notoriously difficult venue - this will be a tough encounter."
Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons, Guinness PRO12, Rodney Parade, Friday 8 May, kick-off 7.30pm
15 Jack Cuthbert
14 Dougie Fife
13 Sam Beard
12 Andries Strauss
11 Tim Visser
10 Phil Burleigh
9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
1 Alasdair Dickinson
2 Ross Ford
3 WP Nel
4 Fraser McKenzie
5 Ben Toolis
6 Stuart McInally (captain)
7 Hamish Watson
8 Cornell Du Preez
Substitutes
16 Neil Cochrane
17 Rory Sutherland
18 John Andress
19 Anton Bresler
20 Roddy Grant
21 Nathan Fowles
22 Tom Heathcote
23 Tom Brown
Hugh Blake is with Glasgow Warriors until the end of the season
Chris Dean, Grayson Hart and Damien Hoyland are currently with Scotland 7s
Not considered due to injury
Mike Coman (head), Allan Dell (ankle), David Denton (head), Grant Gilchrist (arm), Sean Kennedy (shoulder), Tomas Leonardi (head), Nick McLennan (groin), Matt Scott (shoulder), Greig Tonks (hamstring)
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