NEWPORT Gwent Dragons will be led by hooker Steve Jones against Ulster tomorrow evening after Lewis Evans failed a fitness test on his groin.

The captain limped off in the second half of last weekend’s Amlin Challenge Cup defeat to Bayonne.

Jevon Groves replaced him against the Frenchmen and gets the start against the RaboDirect Pro12 leaders.

The only other change to the XV that took to the field against Bayonne sees lock Adam Jones replace Ian Nimmo, who drops to the bench where he will join flanker Nic Cudd.

Ulster – who include nine players that will be on Ireland duty this autumn in their matchday squad – move Springboks ace Ruan Pienaar from scrum-half to fly-half with Paul Marshall replacing him at nine.

Former Ospreys ace Tommy Bowe plays full-back while former All Black John Afoa is given a break with Declan Fitzpatrick starting at tighthead.

Lions back row forward Stephen Ferris, who has a minor back injury, is not risked.

Ulster have won all seven of their games this season and are 2/7 favourites with the bookies to make it eight against the second-from-bottom Dragons.

Dragons: T Prydie, W Harries, A Hughes, A Tuilagi, T Chavhanga, L Robling, J Evans, O Evans, Steve Jones (captain), N Buck, A Jones, R Sidoli, T Brown, J Groves, T Faletau. Replacements: S Parry, N Williams, D Way, I Nimmo, N Cudd, L Davies, Steffan Jones, P Leach.

Ulster: T Bowe, A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy; R Pienaar, P Marshall, T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, I Henderson, C Henry (captain), N Williams. Replacements: N Brady, C Black, J Afoa, M McComish, R Wilson, P Jackson, L Marshall, J Payne.

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)