BEWARE an Ulster backlash warns Newport Gwent Dragons coach Mike Ruddock going into tomorrow night's top-of-the-table Celtic League battle at Rodney Parade (5.30pm).
The Dragons, who are third in the table, haven't lost a home league game - their only setback was against Leicester in the Heineken Cup - but league leaders Ulster arrive smarting from a surprise defeat at the hands of bottom team Glasgow last week.
And they still recall their reverse at Rodney Parade in December which blew their European hopes off course at an early stage.
Though they avenged that defeat at Ravenhill in their final pool match they were already out of the competition then.
"There's going to be a big backlash and I've warned my players about it," said Ruddock, himself anxious to get back on course after least week's defeat against Neath-Swansea Os-preys. "We dominated the game and for that I would give it 10 out of 10," said Ruddock.
"But for finishing it would be one out of 10, I've never been involved in a game where we made so many breaks and not won.
"Ulster is a huge game, but while I have a huge regard for them we have worked this hard to get where we are and we want to stay there."
He insists the team will have to perform at an even higher level than when they beat the Northern Ireland province 24-15 in the Heineken Cup on December 7.
That means fans can expect another high intensity, bruising forward assault.
"We played to our level and even above it then. We've got to reproduce that and five per cent more because Ulster know what's coming this time," said Ruddock.
"But we're still hoping to disrupt them. We took their set piece away in the home game, we damaged them in the scrums and line-outs and we've got to go down that track again."
Danger-man for Ulster will again be Ireland outside half David Humphreys who has been released from international duty. He destroyed the Dragons at Ravenhill with a long range try and his usual kicking game out of hand and at goal.
"I was hoping he'd miss the game," joked Ruddock. "But he'll be bursting to show Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan was wrong not to pick him (he prefers Ronan O'Gara).
"He scored a length-of-the-field try against us the week after he did the same against Stade Francais. He's a great player and we've got to deny him the ball by doing a job on their forwards."
Ruddock echoes the views of all those who believe the standard of the Celtic League is far higher than the old Welsh League.
"Look at the Llanelli game. There were no tries, but it was one of the best games of the season with huge intensity, real cat and mouse, and we're expecting the same thing against Ulster," he said.
"It's become a hugely exciting league and everyone is capable of beating one another which shows the value of this league whereas in the Welsh League there were only three or four teams capable of beating you at home."
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