UNDERESTIMATE Leinster at your peril, Luke Charteris warns Newport Gwent Dragons ahead of their Magners League game against the leaders on Sunday.

The Heineken Cup champions are bringing an under-strength side to Rodney Parade, resting all their stars after the autumn series when Ireland were unbeaten.

But Charteris, who gets no rest after starting all four of Wales’ November internationals and will lead the Dragons, insists they can’t possibly be complacent.

“Irish teams have shown over the years how strong they are. Look at the number of players Leinster and Munster use and the players they recruit like All Blacks and Springboks,” said the Wales lock who captains the Dragons because of the uncertainty over Tom Willis’ fitness after a long standing calf problem.

Munster have signed players like South African World Cup ace Jean de Villiers and New Zealand wing Doug Howlett while Leinster have Springbok prop C J van de Linde and Fijian wing/full back Isa Nacewa on their playing staff. “The days of sending really weakened sides over here from Ireland have long gone and it shows,” said Charteris.

“They are always in the top two or three teams in the Magners League and they get to the later stages of the Heineken Cup or win it because they have got such strong squads.

“But the most pleasing thing for Dan (teammate Dan Lydiate) and myself is seeing the boys performing while we’ve been away with the Wales squad.

“That has been a real boost and to come back into such an environment after the boys just had a week off has been great.

“We’re looking forward to getting going again and there will be no better challenge than Leinster here on Sunday.”

Charteris now hopes the experience he and Lydiate gained with the Wales squad last month will rub off on the Dragons and give them a further boost.

“Both Dan and I will bring new things back with a bit of motivation and positivity. The team’s had a good run since we’ve been away which makes it easier for us,” he said. “They had a superb result in Edinburgh (the Dragons won 9-8 at Murrayfield) when Dan and I weren’t here and they put in some good performances in the LV Cup, so everyone is happy and confidence is high. All the boys in the Wales squad have been wanting to know what’s going on with the Dragons and we’ve had some bragging rights, but it’s vital we keep going with a win on Sunday.

“It’s still going to be tough, but we are confident especially after the way we played over there when we were lucky to come away with nothing (the Dragons were beaten 23-14 in Dublin in their second game of the season). So victory on Sunday would put us right up there and we can really cement a place near the top of the table.”

Charteris says the days of leading players playing 30-40 games a season have gone in view of the increasing physicality in the game, and it is a case of being managed properly.

“It’s tough playing against four very physical teams back to back (New Zealand, Samoa, Argentina and Australia) because the body breaks down a bit,” he said.

“But the coaching staff understand what’s going on and they try and manage you. But the days when you play 30-40 games are going because you get niggles and they get worse.”