NEWPORT Gwent Dragons hope their much-improved set piece can help stun Ulster again at Rodney Parade tomorrow and provide them with a welcome boost ahead of their European quarter-final.

The clash with the Guinness Pro12 title hopefuls is the Dragons’ last game in Newport before they host Cardiff Blues in the Challenge Cup on Saturday, April 4.

The region’s bosses made the decision to resist moving the last-eight tie away from Rodney Parade but recent form raises doubt as to whether Lyn Jones’ team will enjoy home advantage.

They have been turned over seven times out of 12 fixtures on their own turf this season so a victory against the in-form Ulstermen would be a timely boost.

“There’s a statement flying around that Rodney Parade is a really tough place to come and play, well it is for us,” said director of rugby Jones, whose side’s best performances have been at Stade Francais, Cardiff Blues and Newcastle.

“The away teams are more comfortable and I don’t know why we seem to do better away from home. Our statistics, such as metres run, are much better away and I just cannot put my finger on why and it’s concerning.”

The Dragons are looking to bounce back from last weekend’s embarrassing 23-17 loss to bottom club Zebre in Parma.

Their visitors from Belfast have won their last four league games and have the carrot of a Ravenhill Pro12 final but the Dragons can take inspiration from last season’s corresponding fixture when they opened the season with a superb 15-8 win.

“We beat Ulster at home without a scrum,” said Jones. “We have one this year so we just need to believe and as long as we hunt and harass we can achieve what we want.”

“Ulster are a power team with a good maul and scrum. They have all the fundamentals right to be successful.

“Nick Williams and Ruan Pienaar give them the go-forward and our challenge is to stop them playing.”

Dragons field a vastly experienced front row featuring captain Rhys Thomas in between props Boris Stankovich and Brok Harris. The former Wales hooker has hailed the impact of his loosehead, who returned at the end of February after three months on the sidelines with a knee injury."

"Boris is crucial for us. In the old rules the tighthead was the anchor of the scrum but now the emphasis is on the loosehead and he has been the cornerstone for us, hopefully we can get another few years out of him!

“The driving lineout is going well,” he continued. “It’s a joy for the hooker on the back of it if you are going forward – if the boys do the work then there’s no chance of them getting the ball off me.”

The Dragons are boosted by the return of Wales lock Andrew Coombs after he missed the Zebre defeat because of a back spasm.

The other change to the XV sees flanker James Benjamin start at openside with his fellow young gun Scott Matthews given the chance to repeat his impressive cameos off the bench in the LV= Cup against Exeter and London Welsh. Ashley Smith has overcome a twisted knee to start and Ebbw Vale’s South African centre Carl Meyer will provide midfield cover.

Ulster will be captained by centre Darren Cave and are bolstered by the release of Ireland back row forward Iain Henderson.

Samoa international Mike Stanley makes his first start for the men from Belfast in midfield and the visitors’ charge will be led by overseas stars Pienaar, Williams, Wiehahn Herbst and Franco Van der Merwe.

Dragons: GR Jones, T Prydie, J Dixon, A Smith, H Amos, D Jones, J Evans, B Stankovich, R Thomas (captain), B Harris, A Coombs, C Hill, J Thomas, J Benjamin, N Crosswell. Replacements: R Buckley, P Price, L Fairbrother, M Screech, S Matthews, L Jones, C Meyer, A Hewitt.

Ulster: L Ludik, C Gilroy, D Cave (captain), M Stanley, M Allen, I Humphreys, R Pienaar, C Black, R Herring, W Herbst, D Tuohy, D Van der Merwe, I Henderson, C Ross, N Williams. Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, B Ross, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, S Arnold, R Scholes.

Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)