WALES coach Mike Ruddock is using video footage of Newport Gwent Dragons' matches against Newcastle in this season's Heineken Cup to help plot the downfall of England at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Tapes of the two games are giving Ruddock an ideal insight into the untried - at international level - centre partnership of Jamie Noon and teenage sensation Matthew Tait.

Both played for Newcastle in their double against the Dragons, and Ruddock is keen to learn from the tapes as England coach Andy Robinson takes the plunge with the pair in view of so many midfield players being ruled out.

"I studied the video of the Dragons games again only last night," said Ruddock yesterday. "These guys are not novices, they play for a major club and the Dragons only cut them once, otherwise their defence was excellent.

"And they also have major strengths in attack and there is no danger we will underestimate Tait.

"We are a team which concentrates on knowing our jobs and roles, the guys are focused, they train well and we are all comfortable with where we are. We've got to translate that on to the field."

In any case, Ruddock believes Wales have got their own danger man in midfield in Gavin Henson, maturing so rapidly that he is now actively being talked up as a British Lion Test player in New Zealand this summer.

"Look how Gavin played against South Africa when we put him in," said Ruddock. "We've got to believe he can only improve.

"If we're going to win this we've got to win the ball as they would see themselves ahead of us up front. You've got to be impressed with their pack and where it's drawn from, their collective power with their scrum a massive weapon and their front row hugely respected, so they will look to try to gain the ascendancy.

"Look at the tries they scored against Australia with their catch and drive, so they'll want to get into their collective driving game.

"But we've taken heart from our improvement in the scrum. We're not saying we're there as a world force yet, we've got to make this ongoing."

Ruddock appeals to the Welsh fans to play their part - and there is a feeling he's got something special planned similar to the All Blacks game when Welsh National Opera Company singer Wynne Evans appeared from out of the crowd waving the national flag, singing the anthem and the fans joined in spontaneously.

"We've got a message for the fans - recreate the same kind of atmosphere in the Millennium Stadium and turn it into the old Cardiff Arms Park with their singing which has got to help them on to a performance," said Ruddock.

"There was so much great singing against New Zealand which does help. We'd like to see a sea of red jerseys - I'm led to believe they (England) have been playing the national anthem in their training sessions. We've looked at every part of our preparations."