HAVING gone up against London Welsh’s hefty number eight Opeti Fonua last month I’d expect that the boys will have a similar experience against Ulster’s big ball carrier Nick Williams on Sunday.

Like Fonua, who was a massive influence in our LV= Cup win at Rodney Parade, he loves his barnstorming runs and picks his moments well. Williams is there to give Ulster go-forward and is a threat from the base of their solid scrum.

Williams scored a hat-trick against us when he was with Munster and has been just as influential since his move to Belfast; he gets over the gain line to allow their South Africa star Ruan Pienaar to run the ship from scrum-half.

That’s where Ulster have been so successful through the years; they may lose a few players to Ireland duty but remain strong because of their overseas recruits.

We beat them at Rodney Parade last year and the boys will need to show the same resilience and fight, and I know they will be determined to put in a big performance after last weekend’s disappointment.

We expected so much after winning on the road to Guinness Pro12 champions Leinster but didn’t perform on the day and were edged out by bottom club Zebre in Parma.

They are always a dogged, resilient team and had recently changed their coaches and were keen to impress. Zebre fought for everything and played like a side with nothing to lose.

The boys still could, and perhaps should, have won but it was just one of those days and there isn’t time in the modern game for dwelling on defeats because the next fixture comes around so quickly.

WHEN I return to full training in pre-season I will be joined by another back row forward after the signing of Wasps’ Ed Jackson was confirmed.

New blood is always a good thing for the squad and keeps everyone on their toes – the Dragons will only move forward as a region with competition for places pushing everyone in the squad to improve.

Strength and depth is massive because the likes of Leinster are successful because of the squad rather than the team.

Ed will add to that and so will the youngsters that are coming through in the back row, the likes of James Benjamin, Scott Matthews, Ollie Griffiths and Harrison Keddie.

It’s all about working hard to get a chance and then taking it when the coaches give you the opportunity, as James Thomas has proved this season by becoming a regular with some outstanding performances.

It’s an increasingly physical game and us back rowers are always in the thick of it, playing with niggles, so the more the merrier.