NEWPORT Gwent Dragons take on the best team in England tomorrow without as many as ten front line players.

The Dragons attempt to storm Sale's Edgeley Park fortress, where the Guinness Premiership leaders have not lost for nine months, short of seven internationals.

It will take the upset of this season's Heineken Cup competition if the Dragons, shorn of so many of their leading players and without one win in their four pool matches, manage to beat the team who have won all their pool games.

Missing from the Dragons line-up, apart from long-term absentees Kevin Morgan, Gareth Wyatt, Nathan Brew and Richard Bryan, are Gareth Chapman, Jon Bryant, Gareth Cooper, Adam Black, Rhys Thomas, Ian Gough, Luke Charteris and skipper Jason Forster.

Of those, only Chapman and perhaps Bryan could be considered second choice players, so it's a massive task for the Dragons.

But coach Paul Turner will rely on the same spirit, with a few players coming off the bench, as the Dragons showed against Ireland's best performing European team Munster at their Thomond Park headquarters last month.

Munster have never lost a Heineken Cup match there, but a similarly below strength Dragons team gave them the fright of their lives as they took a one-point lead ten minutes from the end and had it not been for a couple of mistakes would have won.

"We had two British Lions and a Welsh international on the bench in Munster," said Turner. "We need to give some guys game time and rest others a bit for our bread-and-butter Celtic League games.

"A lot of players are playing for their futures and we'll see what they can do in the toughest environment of them all.

"We're well aware of what we're facing and we need to meet it head on. There's a lot of pride at stake for us."

Aled Thomas comes in at full back with Sione Tuipulotu reverting to his proper inside centre position, and also covers scrum-half.

Richard Fussell returns on the wing in place of foot injury victim Chapman, who is deprived of the chance to face ex-England captain Jason Robinson after Jonah Lomu and Shane Williams.

A new half back partnership brings Gareth Baber and Ceri Sweeney together, Baber replacing Gareth Cooper who needs an injection in his ankle which has still not fully settled down after a lot of problems with it. David Maddocks and Gethin Robinson step in at prop, with Black and Thomas on the bench, Robinson facing England powerhouse Andrew Sheridan, while Bryn Griffiths makes only his second start for the Dragons at lock and his first in the Heineken Cup. Gough has a minor back strain but is on the bench.

Jamie Ringer plays at openside flanker, with Forster being kept back for the league programme in view of his ongoing groin trouble.

Wales number eight Michael Owen will lead the side. "We lost our way a bit, but we have shown in the last few games the spirit in the squad," he said. "If we get stuck in to Sale we've got a chance."

Team: A Thomas, R Fussell, H Luscombe, S Tuipulotu, B Breeze, C Sweeney, G Baber, D Maddocks, S Jones, G Robinson, B Griffiths, P Sidoli, A Hall, M Owen (captain), J Ringer. Replacements: A Brown, A Black, R Thomas, I Gough, R Oakley, J Bryant, C Warlow. Kick off 1pm.