NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are out to avoid losing three times in a row for the first time when they face Ulster in the Heineken Cup at Ravenhill tonight.

They have lost their last two matches against Stade Francais and Leicester, but even if they go down again at one of the most difficult places to win in the UK they will not consider it a disaster.

For it is the next three games which are the most important for the Dragons.

They cannot qualify for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup, but they want to be there again next season.

And that means targeting their next three Celtic League games on successive Friday nights - Leinster and Llanelli at Rodney Parade and Neath-Swansea Ospreys away.

The Dragons are already 17 points clear of bottom placed Welsh club in the Celtic League, Cardiff Blues, courtesy of their better-than-expected first half of the season which has lifted them to third place in the table, only Llanelli Scarlets ahead of them among Welsh teams.

And they want to keep it that way knowing that the worst placed Welsh team will compete in the Parker Pen tournament next season.

"The Celtic League has always been our main focus this season," admitted Dragons coach Mike Ruddock. "Leinster and Llanelli are two of our main competitors and are target games as such.

"I'm looking at a couple of players like Rhys Thomas tonight so that I will know all our options for the second half of the season shoot-out.

"We are a better team than the last time we played Ulster (the Dragons lost 37-18 on September 26) and we'll give it our best shot.

"We hadn't lost at home until the Leicester game, so we can't worry about the past and we'll be up for it big time.

"But they have had years together to build (it will be Ulster's 51st game in the Heineken Cup) whereas we are still going through the combinations.

"But if we get three results against Leinster, Llanelli and the Ospreys it would put us in a great position. We don't want to get into a losing habit and we want to try to get a result against Ulster, but it won't be the end of the world if we don't."

l New signing back row forward Bobby Skinstad, who has looked impressive in training this week, will be in the 22 at least against Leinster in the Celtic League next Friday.