IT'S Wales against England at Welford Road on Sunday when Leicester host Newport Gwent Dragons in the Heineken Cup.

The clash is the only one of the entire weekend programme which involves an English team facing a Welsh one.

And Dragons coach Mike Ruddock is already building it up into a mini-international. Leicester are having a disappointing season by their high standards, shorn of World Cup players, and they also slipped to defeat against Stade Francais in their opening Heineken Cup clash on Sunday when a number of their stars returned.

The Dragons, on the other hand, are on a roll having won four games in a row, three in the Celtic League and one in Europe.

They now travel to Leicester fresh from beating former Heineken champions Ulster and ready to take the game to the two-time former winners on Sunday in a match which is being televised live on Sky TV.

"We can go to Leicester with confidence and in a positive mood to get a result," said Ruddock.

"If you look at the way Cardiff played at Sale (they lost by just two points to a late dropped goal) you have to ask whether the English scene is that far ahead.

"We are the only Welsh team playing English opposition at the weekend, so we can build the game up as a mini-international,Wales against England."

Given the way the Dragons took time to gel as a new team and the fact that they are up against one of the giants of the game - including England captain Martin Johnson and fellow World Cup aces Ben Kay and Neil Back - Ruddock's men could be excused for feeling a bit overawed.

But the coach countered: "There is no chance of that, we won't be feeling in awe, we'll focus on ourselves as a group.

"Players like Jason Forster are going to say 'this is an opportunity for us, so let's go out there and take it.'

"Every time they try to run we'll knock them down. I've been to Leicester before with Leinster (the Irish province where Ruddock spent three years) and won.

"So it can be done if we produce the perfect performance, but it won't be if we make a number of errors."

Eight Dragons players were unable to train yesterday after the bruising game against Ulster.

Hooker Steve Jones is the most doubtful for Sunday's game with damaged ribs which forced him off against Ulster.

Winger Nathan Brew has an X-ray on his injured cheekbone today before a decision is made about the Leicester match.

Also missing from training were centres Steve Winn (knee) and Hal Luscombe (hamstring), half backs Lee Jarvis and Gareth Baber (both calf), Peter Sidoli (hand) and Jamie Ringer (ankle).

Weekend Heineken Cup fixtures Friday: Cardiff Blues v Leinster (7.45pm Sky live); Ulster v Stade Francais; Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Edinburgh; Toulouse v Leeds. Saturday: Perpignan v Celtic Warriors (2.30pm Sky live); Munster v Treviso (5pm Sky live); Biarritz v Sale; Northampton v Agen; Gloucester v Bourgoin; Calvisano v Wasps. Sunday: Borders v Llanelli Scarlets (12.30pm Sky live); Leicester v Newport Gwent Dragons (3pm Sky live).