NEWPORT Gwent Dragons coach Paul Turner insists they are moving forward despite the loss of some players and their lowly position in the Celtic League table.

He is about to put his own stamp on the team by bringing in new players, a challenge he is anticipating eagerly.

"We are developing youngsters and I have got a chance to freshen the place up by bringing in new blood. Everything is building towards that and we probably deserve a lot better luck than we've had," he said. "There's got to be a balance and variety to our play, and we need to close up play at times which comes via the whole team.

"But I still maintain we are moving in the right direction and we're in the big league whatever anyone says about the Celtic League."

Turner and the team are targeting tonight's game against Munster at Rodney Parade as the start of their bid to climb the table, even though they have lost all three games against their Irish opposition this season.

Two were in the Heineken Cup when they disappointed at home and went down 24-8, though they shocked them in the return, leading with 15 minutes left at Thomond Park before going down 30-18.

The third, at Cork's Musgrave Park, was heartbreak for the Dragons who lost 10-8 but had two tries disallowed when video evidence showed skipper Jason Forster and Ceri Sweeney had both crossed the line.

"It's a results business and you get hurt by defeats," admitted Turner. "The manner of the bullying we took against Munster in the first match at home, as we did against Sale, is something we're looking at.

"But we showed our hand to Munster in two of the three games we've played against them, so they won't take us lightly though you've got to be at your best to even contemplate getting a result.

"We made too many errors in our last game against Ulster though we showed a lot to come back the way we did, playing for 20 minutes with 14 men against a side who were 24-10 up to get a bonus point.

"And it was disappointing we didn't win in Cork. We could be playing the European champions tonight which is a clarion call to get the Gwent people here.

"We're back on home turf and if we play the way we did against Leinster (their last home game when they humbled the Heineken Cup semi-finalists 31-18) and cut our error count then anything can happen."

Munster, third in the table compared with the Dragons' tenth, will be without Ireland pair outside half Ronan O'Gara and back row forward Denis Leamy who were both injured in their Heineken Cup quarter-final victory over Perpignan last week.

But they have packed their line-out by bringing in Mick O'Driscoll, normally a lock, in place of Leamy to provide a terrific three-pronged presence alongside Donncha O'Callaghan and Paul O'Connell. Current internationals Peter Stringer, John Hayes, Jerry Flannery and David Wallace are also in a formidable side.

Team: S Payne, J Kelly, T O'Leary, T Halstead, I Dowling, J Manning, P Stringer, F Pucciariello, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, M O'Driscoll, A Foley, D Wallace. Replacements: R Henderson, M Mullins, P Burke, F Roche, E McGovern, S Keogh, J O'Sullivan. Kick off 7.10pm.